Sample records for quality standards set

  1. National standard setting for quality of care in general practice: attitudes of general practitioners and response to a set of standards.

    PubMed Central

    Grol, R

    1990-01-01

    The Nederlands Huisartsen Genootschap (NHG), the college of general practitioners in the Netherlands, has begun a national programme of standard setting for the quality of care in general practice. When the standards have been drawn up and assessed they are disseminated via the journal Huisarts en Wetenschap. In a survey, carried out among a randomized sample of 10% of all general practitioners, attitudes towards national standard setting in general and to the first set of standards (diabetes care) were studied. The response was 70% (453 doctors). A majority of the respondents said they were well informed about the national standard setting initiatives instigated by the NHG (71%) and about the content of the first standards (77%). The general practitioners had a positive attitude towards the setting of national standards for quality of care, and this was particularly true for doctors who were members of the NHG. Although a large majority of doctors said they agreed with most of the guidelines in the diabetes standards fewer respondents were actually working to the guidelines and some of the standards are certain to meet with a lot of resistance. A better knowledge of the standards and a more positive attitude to the process of national standard setting correlated with a more positive attitude to the guidelines formulated in the diabetes standards. The results could serve as a starting point for an exchange of views about standard setting in general practice in other countries. PMID:2265001

  2. Quality specifications and standard-setting for stoma care patients.

    PubMed

    Primer, M A

    1995-12-01

    Quality specifications can be used as an information resource by purchasers of health care. The nature of service provision and nursing care can be positively influenced by the formalisation of standards and quality specifications. Auditing is essential in the ongoing evaluation of a quality system.

  3. Demands Upon Children Regarding Quality of Achievement: Standard Setting in Preschool Classrooms.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Potter, Ellen F.

    Focusing particularly on messages transmitted by socializing agents in preschool settings, this exploratory study investigates (1) the incidence of communication events in which standards for achievement are expressed, (2) the nature of the standards, and (3) variations across settings in the nature of standard-setting events. The relationship of…

  4. Using the Many-Facet Rasch Model to Evaluate Standard-Setting Judgments: Setting Performance Standards for Advanced Placement® Examinations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaliski, Pamela; Wind, Stefanie A.; Engelhard, George, Jr.; Morgan, Deanna; Plake, Barbara; Reshetar, Rosemary

    2012-01-01

    The Many-Facet Rasch (MFR) Model is traditionally used to evaluate the quality of ratings on constructed response assessments; however, it can also be used to evaluate the quality of judgments from panel-based standard setting procedures. The current study illustrates the use of the MFR Model by examining the quality of ratings obtained from a…

  5. Setting and Reviewing Standards to Control SO2 Pollution

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA sets National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for SO2 to protect public health (primary standard) and to protect public welfare (secondary standard). The Clean Air Act also requires EPA to periodically review and revise them if appropriate.

  6. Setting and Reviewing Standards to Control NO2 Pollution

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA sets National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for NO2 to protect public health (primary standard) and to protect public welfare (secondary standard). The Clean Air Act also requires EPA to periodically review and revise them if appropriate.

  7. Setting and Reviewing Standards to Control Particulate Matter (PM) Pollution

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Clean Air Act requires EPA to set national air quality standards for particulate matter, and to periodically review the standards to ensure that they provide adequate health and environmental protection, updating those standards as necessary.

  8. The Explication of Quality Standards in Self-Evaluation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bronkhorst, Larike H.; Baartman, Liesbeth K. J.; Stokking, Karel M.

    2012-01-01

    Education aiming at students' competence development asks for new assessment methods. The quality of these methods needs to be assured using adapted quality criteria and accompanying standards. As such standards are not widely available, this study sets out to examine what level of compliance with quality criteria stakeholders consider…

  9. Lessons Learned on Quality (of) Standards

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gerlich, Rainer; Gerlich, Ralf

    2011-08-01

    Standards are used to describe and ensure the quality of products, services and processes throughout almost all branches of industry, including the field of software engineering. Contractors and suppliers are obligated by their customers and certification authorities to follow a certain set of standards during development. For example, a customer can easier actively participate in and control the contractor's process when enforcing a standard process..However, as with any requirement, a standard may also impede the contractor or supplier in assuring actual quality of the product in the sense of fitness for the purpose intended by the customer.This is the case when a standard defines specific quality assurance activities requiring a considerable amount of effort while other more efficient but equivalent or even superior approaches are blocked. Then improvement of the ratio between cost and quality exceeding miniscule advances is heavily impeded.While in some parts being too specific in defining the mechanisms of the enforced process, standards are sometimes too weak in defining the principles or goals on control of product quality.Therefore this paper addresses the following issues: (1) Which conclusions can be drawn on the quality and efficiency of a standard? (2) If and how is it possible to improve or evolve a standard? (3) How well does a standard guide a user towards high quality of the end product?One conclusion is that the analyzed standards do interfere with technological innovation, though the standards leave a lot of freedom for concretization and are understood as technology-independent.Another conclusion is that standards are not only a matter of quality but also a matter of competitiveness of the industry depending on resulting costs and time-to- market. When the costs induced by a standard are not adequate to the achievable quality, industry encounters a significant disadvantage.

  10. A Comparison of Web-Based Standard Setting and Monitored Standard Setting.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harvey, Anne L.; Way, Walter D.

    Standard setting, when carefully done, can be an expensive and time-consuming process. The modified Angoff method and the benchmark method, as utilized in this study, employ representative panels of judges to provide recommended passing scores to standard setting decision-makers. It has been considered preferable to have the judges meet in a…

  11. 42 CFR 410.144 - Quality standards for deemed entities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Quality standards for deemed entities. 410.144...-Management Training and Diabetes Outcome Measurements § 410.144 Quality standards for deemed entities. An organization approved and recognized by CMS may accredit an entity to meet one of the following sets of quality...

  12. 42 CFR 410.144 - Quality standards for deemed entities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Quality standards for deemed entities. 410.144...-Management Training and Diabetes Outcome Measurements § 410.144 Quality standards for deemed entities. An organization approved and recognized by CMS may accredit an entity to meet one of the following sets of quality...

  13. 42 CFR 410.144 - Quality standards for deemed entities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Quality standards for deemed entities. 410.144...-Management Training and Diabetes Outcome Measurements § 410.144 Quality standards for deemed entities. An organization approved and recognized by CMS may accredit an entity to meet one of the following sets of quality...

  14. 42 CFR 410.144 - Quality standards for deemed entities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Quality standards for deemed entities. 410.144...-Management Training and Diabetes Outcome Measurements § 410.144 Quality standards for deemed entities. An organization approved and recognized by CMS may accredit an entity to meet one of the following sets of quality...

  15. 42 CFR 410.144 - Quality standards for deemed entities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Quality standards for deemed entities. 410.144...-Management Training and Diabetes Outcome Measurements § 410.144 Quality standards for deemed entities. An organization approved and recognized by CMS may accredit an entity to meet one of the following sets of quality...

  16. 75 FR 44930 - Stakeholder Input; Revisions to Water Quality Standards Regulation

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-30

    ... Input; Revisions to Water Quality Standards Regulation AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION... national rulemaking to make a limited set of targeted changes to EPA's water quality standards regulation... rulemaking, and to hear views from the public regarding possible changes to EPA's water quality standards...

  17. Multimedia telehomecare system using standard TV set.

    PubMed

    Guillén, S; Arredondo, M T; Traver, V; García, J M; Fernández, C

    2002-12-01

    Nowadays, there are a very large number of patients that need specific health support at home. The deployment of broadband communication networks is making feasible the provision of home care services with a proper quality of service. This paper presents a telehomecare multimedia platform that runs over integrated services digital network and internet protocol using videoconferencing standards H.320 and H.323, and standard TV set for patient interaction. This platform allows online remote monitoring: ECG, heart sound, blood pressure. Usability, affordability, and interoperability were considered for the design and development of its hardware and software components. A first evaluation of technical and usability aspects were carried forward with 52 patients of a private clinic and 10 students in the University. Results show a high rate (mean = 4.33, standard deviation--SD = 1.63 in a five-points Likert scale) in the global perception of users on the quality of images, voice, and feeling of virtual presence.

  18. Time to harmonize national ambient air quality standards.

    PubMed

    Kutlar Joss, Meltem; Eeftens, Marloes; Gintowt, Emily; Kappeler, Ron; Künzli, Nino

    2017-05-01

    The World Health Organization has developed ambient air quality guidelines at levels considered to be safe or of acceptable risk for human health. These guidelines are meant to support governments in defining national standards. It is unclear how they are followed. We compiled an inventory of ambient air quality standards for 194 countries worldwide for six air pollutants: PM 2.5 , PM 10 , ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide. We conducted literature and internet searches and asked country representatives about national ambient air quality standards. We found information on 170 countries including 57 countries that did not set any air quality standards. Levels varied greatly by country and by pollutant. Ambient air quality standards for PM 2.5 , PM 10 and SO 2 poorly complied with WHO guideline values. The agreement was higher for CO, SO 2 (10-min averaging time) and NO 2 . Regulatory differences mirror the differences in air quality and the related burden of disease around the globe. Governments worldwide should adopt science based air quality standards and clean air management plans to continuously improve air quality locally, nationally, and globally.

  19. Core Outcome Set-STAndards for Development: The COS-STAD recommendations.

    PubMed

    Kirkham, Jamie J; Davis, Katherine; Altman, Douglas G; Blazeby, Jane M; Clarke, Mike; Tunis, Sean; Williamson, Paula R

    2017-11-01

    The use of core outcome sets (COS) ensures that researchers measure and report those outcomes that are most likely to be relevant to users of their research. Several hundred COS projects have been systematically identified to date, but there has been no formal quality assessment of these studies. The Core Outcome Set-STAndards for Development (COS-STAD) project aimed to identify minimum standards for the design of a COS study agreed upon by an international group, while other specific guidance exists for the final reporting of COS development studies (Core Outcome Set-STAndards for Reporting [COS-STAR]). An international group of experienced COS developers, methodologists, journal editors, potential users of COS (clinical trialists, systematic reviewers, and clinical guideline developers), and patient representatives produced the COS-STAD recommendations to help improve the quality of COS development and support the assessment of whether a COS had been developed using a reasonable approach. An open survey of experts generated an initial list of items, which was refined by a 2-round Delphi survey involving nearly 250 participants representing key stakeholder groups. Participants assigned importance ratings for each item using a 1-9 scale. Consensus that an item should be included in the set of minimum standards was defined as at least 70% of the voting participants from each stakeholder group providing a score between 7 and 9. The Delphi survey was followed by a consensus discussion with the study management group representing multiple stakeholder groups. COS-STAD contains 11 minimum standards that are the minimum design recommendations for all COS development projects. The recommendations focus on 3 key domains: the scope, the stakeholders, and the consensus process. The COS-STAD project has established 11 minimum standards to be followed by COS developers when planning their projects and by users when deciding whether a COS has been developed using reasonable

  20. Research on Standard and Automatic Judgment of Press-fit Curve of Locomotive Wheel-set Based on AAR Standard

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Jun; Xiao, Jun; Gao, Dong Jun; Zong, Shu Yu; Li, Zhu

    2018-03-01

    In the production of the Association of American Railroads (AAR) locomotive wheel-set, the press-fit curve is the most important basis for the reliability of wheel-set assembly. In the past, Most of production enterprises mainly use artificial detection methods to determine the quality of assembly. There are cases of miscarriage of justice appear. For this reason, the research on the standard is carried out. And the automatic judgment of press-fit curve is analysed and designed, so as to provide guidance for the locomotive wheel-set production based on AAR standard.

  1. Comparing Panelists' Understanding of Standard Setting across Multiple Levels of an Alternate Science Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hansen, Mary A.; Lyon, Steven R.; Heh, Peter; Zigmond, Naomi

    2013-01-01

    Large-scale assessment programs, including alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS), must provide evidence of technical quality and validity. This study provides information about the technical quality of one AA-AAS by evaluating the standard setting for the science component. The assessment was designed to have…

  2. Issues and Methods for Standard-Setting.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hambleton, Ronald K.; And Others

    Issues involved in standard setting along with methods for standard setting are reviewed, with specific reference to their relevance for criterion referenced testing. Definitions are given of continuum and state models, and traditional and normative standard setting procedures. Since continuum models are considered more appropriate for criterion…

  3. Quality standards for bone conduction implants.

    PubMed

    Gavilan, Javier; Adunka, Oliver; Agrawal, Sumit; Atlas, Marcus; Baumgartner, Wolf-Dieter; Brill, Stefan; Bruce, Iain; Buchman, Craig; Caversaccio, Marco; De Bodt, Marc T; Dillon, Meg; Godey, Benoit; Green, Kevin; Gstoettner, Wolfgang; Hagen, Rudolf; Hagr, Abdulrahman; Han, Demin; Kameswaran, Mohan; Karltorp, Eva; Kompis, Martin; Kuzovkov, Vlad; Lassaletta, Luis; Li, Yongxin; Lorens, Artur; Martin, Jane; Manoj, Manikoth; Mertens, Griet; Mlynski, Robert; Mueller, Joachim; O'Driscoll, Martin; Parnes, Lorne; Pulibalathingal, Sasidharan; Radeloff, Andreas; Raine, Christopher H; Rajan, Gunesh; Rajeswaran, Ranjith; Schmutzhard, Joachim; Skarzynski, Henryk; Skarzynski, Piotr; Sprinzl, Georg; Staecker, Hinrich; Stephan, Kurt; Sugarova, Serafima; Tavora, Dayse; Usami, Shin-Ichi; Yanov, Yuri; Zernotti, Mario; Zorowka, Patrick; de Heyning, Paul Van

    2015-01-01

    Bone conduction implants are useful in patients with conductive and mixed hearing loss for whom conventional surgery or hearing aids are no longer an option. They may also be used in patients affected by single-sided deafness. To establish a consensus on the quality standards required for centers willing to create a bone conduction implant program. To ensure a consistently high level of service and to provide patients with the best possible solution the members of the HEARRING network have established a set of quality standards for bone conduction implants. These standards constitute a realistic minimum attainable by all implant clinics and should be employed alongside current best practice guidelines. Fifteen items are thoroughly analyzed. They include team structure, accommodation and clinical facilities, selection criteria, evaluation process, complete preoperative and surgical information, postoperative fitting and assessment, follow-up, device failure, clinical management, transfer of care and patient complaints.

  4. Setting Standards for Medically-Based Running Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Vincent, Heather K.; Herman, Daniel C.; Lear-Barnes, Leslie; Barnes, Robert; Chen, Cong; Greenberg, Scott; Vincent, Kevin R.

    2015-01-01

    Setting standards for medically based running analyses is necessary to ensure that runners receive a high-quality service from practitioners. Medical and training history, physical and functional tests, and motion analysis of running at self-selected and faster speeds are key features of a comprehensive analysis. Self-reported history and movement symmetry are critical factors that require follow-up therapy or long-term management. Pain or injury is typically the result of a functional deficit above or below the site along the kinematic chain. PMID:25014394

  5. Setting Emissions Standards Based on Technology Performance

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    In setting national emissions standards, EPA sets emissions performance levels rather than mandating use of a particular technology. The law mandates that EPA use numerical performance standards whenever feasible in setting national emissions standards.

  6. Addressing standards of care in resource-limited settings.

    PubMed

    Dawson, Liza; Klingman, Karin L; Marrazzo, Jeanne

    2014-01-01

    : The choice between "best-known" standards of care (SOC) or "best available" standards as the control arm in a clinical trial is a fundamental dilemma in clinical research in resource-limited settings (RLS). When the health system is delivering less than an optimal level of care, using highest standard of care in a clinical trial may produce results that cannot be implemented or sustained locally. On the other hand, using interventions that are more feasible in the local setting may involve suboptimal care, and clinical outcomes may be affected. The need for improved standards in health systems in RLS, and the difficulty in securing them, has led many researchers advocate for policy changes at the national or international level to improve clinical care more systemically. SOC decisions in a clinical trial affect the level of benefit provided to study participants and the policy implications of the trial findings. SOC choices should provide high-quality care to help advance the health care system in host countries participating in the trial, but balancing the scientific and ethical objectives of SOC choices is difficult, and there is no single formula for selecting the appropriate SOC. Despite the challenges, well-designed and conducted clinical trials can and should make significant contributions to health systems in RLS.

  7. A set of care quality indicators for stroke management.

    PubMed

    Navarro Soler, I M; Ignacio García, E; Masjuan Vallejo, J; Gállego Culleré, J; Mira Solves, J J

    2017-06-22

    This study proposes a set of quality indicators for care outcomes in patients with acute cerebral infarction. These indicators are understandable and relevant from a clinical viewpoint, as well as being acceptable and feasible in terms of time required, ease of data capture, and interpretability. The method consisted of reaching consensus among doctors after having reviewed the literature on quality indicators in stroke. We then designed and conducted a field study to assess the understandability and feasibility of the set of indicators. Consensus yielded 8 structural indicators, 5 process indicators, and 12 result indicators. Additionally, standards of reference were established for each indicator. This set of indicators can be used to monitor the quality care for stroke patients, identify strengths, and potentially to identify areas needing improvement. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  8. Standardization of Analysis Sets for Reporting Results from ADNI MRI Data

    PubMed Central

    Wyman, Bradley T.; Harvey, Danielle J.; Crawford, Karen; Bernstein, Matt A.; Carmichael, Owen; Cole, Patricia E.; Crane, Paul; DeCarli, Charles; Fox, Nick C.; Gunter, Jeffrey L.; Hill, Derek; Killiany, Ronald J.; Pachai, Chahin; Schwarz, Adam J.; Schuff, Norbert; Senjem, Matthew L.; Suhy, Joyce; Thompson, Paul M.; Weiner, Michael; Jack, Clifford R.

    2013-01-01

    The ADNI 3D T1-weighted MRI acquisitions provide a rich dataset for developing and testing analysis techniques for extracting structural endpoints. To promote greater rigor in analysis and meaningful comparison of different algorithms, the ADNI MRI Core has created standardized analysis sets of data comprising scans that met minimum quality control requirements. We encourage researchers to test and report their techniques against these data. Standard analysis sets of volumetric scans from ADNI-1 have been created, comprising: screening visits, 1 year completers (subjects who all have screening, 6 and 12 month scans), two year annual completers (screening, 1, and 2 year scans), two year completers (screening, 6 months, 1 year, 18 months (MCI only) and 2 years) and complete visits (screening, 6 months, 1 year, 18 months (MCI only), 2, and 3 year (normal and MCI only) scans). As the ADNI-GO/ADNI-2 data becomes available, updated standard analysis sets will be posted regularly. PMID:23110865

  9. Langley Wind Tunnel Data Quality Assurance-Check Standard Results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hemsch, Michael J.; Grubb, John P.; Krieger, William B.; Cler, Daniel L.

    2000-01-01

    A framework for statistical evaluation, control and improvement of wind funnel measurement processes is presented The methodology is adapted from elements of the Measurement Assurance Plans developed by the National Bureau of Standards (now the National Institute of Standards and Technology) for standards and calibration laboratories. The present methodology is based on the notions of statistical quality control (SQC) together with check standard testing and a small number of customer repeat-run sets. The results of check standard and customer repeat-run -sets are analyzed using the statistical control chart-methods of Walter A. Shewhart long familiar to the SQC community. Control chart results are presented for. various measurement processes in five facilities at Langley Research Center. The processes include test section calibration, force and moment measurements with a balance, and instrument calibration.

  10. Setting Environmental Standards

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fishbein, Gershon

    1975-01-01

    Recent court decisions have pointed out the complexities involved in setting environmental standards. Environmental health is composed of multiple causative agents, most of which work over long periods of time. This makes the cause-and-effect relationship between health statistics and environmental contaminant exposures difficult to prove in…

  11. Water Quality Standards Handbook

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Water Quality Standards Handbook is a compilation of the EPA's water quality standards (WQS) program guidance including recommendations for states, authorized tribes, and territories in reviewing, revising, and implementing WQS.

  12. Setting standards and monitoring quality in the NHS 1999-2013: a classic case of goal conflict.

    PubMed

    Littlejohns, Peter; Knight, Alec; Littlejohns, Anna; Poole, Tara-Lynn; Kieslich, Katharina

    2017-04-01

    2013 saw the National Health Service (NHS) in England severely criticized for providing poor quality despite successive governments in the previous 15 years, establishing a range of new institutions to improve NHS quality. This study seeks to understand the contributions of political and organizational influences in enabling the NHS to deliver high-quality care through exploring the experiences of two of the major new organizations established to set standards and monitor NHS quality. We used a mixed method approach: first a cross-sectional, in-depth qualitative interview study and then the application of principal agent modeling (Waterman and Meier broader framework). Ten themes were identified as influencing the functioning of the NHS regulatory institutions: socio-political environment; governance and accountability; external relationships; clarity of purpose; organizational reputation; leadership and management; organizational stability; resources; organizational methods; and organizational performance. The organizations could be easily mapped onto the framework, and their transience between the different states could be monitored. We concluded that differing policy objectives for NHS quality monitoring resulted in central involvement and organizational change. This had a disruptive effect on the ability of the NHS to monitor quality. Constant professional leadership, both clinical and managerial, and basing decisions on best evidence, both technical and organizational, helped one institution to deliver on its remit, even within a changing political/policy environment. Application of the Waterman-Meier framework enabled an understanding and description of the dynamic relationship between central government and organizations in the NHS and may predict when tensions will arise in the future. © 2016 The Authors. The International Journal of Health Planning and Management Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. © 2016 The Authors. The International Journal of Health

  13. Setting and Reviewing Standards to Control Carbon Monoxide (CO) Pollution in Outdoor Air

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA sets National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for CO to protect public health and to protect public welfare. The Clean Air Act also requires EPA to periodically review and revise them if appropriate.

  14. Standard setting: comparison of two methods.

    PubMed

    George, Sanju; Haque, M Sayeed; Oyebode, Femi

    2006-09-14

    The outcome of assessments is determined by the standard-setting method used. There is a wide range of standard-setting methods and the two used most extensively in undergraduate medical education in the UK are the norm-reference and the criterion-reference methods. The aims of the study were to compare these two standard-setting methods for a multiple-choice question examination and to estimate the test-retest and inter-rater reliability of the modified Angoff method. The norm-reference method of standard-setting (mean minus 1 SD) was applied to the 'raw' scores of 78 4th-year medical students on a multiple-choice examination (MCQ). Two panels of raters also set the standard using the modified Angoff method for the same multiple-choice question paper on two occasions (6 months apart). We compared the pass/fail rates derived from the norm reference and the Angoff methods and also assessed the test-retest and inter-rater reliability of the modified Angoff method. The pass rate with the norm-reference method was 85% (66/78) and that by the Angoff method was 100% (78 out of 78). The percentage agreement between Angoff method and norm-reference was 78% (95% CI 69% - 87%). The modified Angoff method had an inter-rater reliability of 0.81-0.82 and a test-retest reliability of 0.59-0.74. There were significant differences in the outcomes of these two standard-setting methods, as shown by the difference in the proportion of candidates that passed and failed the assessment. The modified Angoff method was found to have good inter-rater reliability and moderate test-retest reliability.

  15. States Set Common Standards, IF...

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hill, Richard

    Whether differences in the standards states have set can be explained by something other than regional differences is explored. In addition, a way in which standards can be compared is defined, and the standard of proficiency that seems to be widely shared across the country is illustrated. The Trial State Assessment (TSA) data from the National…

  16. Setting standards and monitoring quality in the NHS 1999–2013: a classic case of goal conflict

    PubMed Central

    Knight, Alec; Littlejohns, Anna; Poole, Tara‐Lynn; Kieslich, Katharina

    2016-01-01

    Abstract 2013 saw the National Health Service (NHS) in England severely criticized for providing poor quality despite successive governments in the previous 15 years, establishing a range of new institutions to improve NHS quality. This study seeks to understand the contributions of political and organizational influences in enabling the NHS to deliver high‐quality care through exploring the experiences of two of the major new organizations established to set standards and monitor NHS quality. We used a mixed method approach: first a cross‐sectional, in‐depth qualitative interview study and then the application of principal agent modeling (Waterman and Meier broader framework). Ten themes were identified as influencing the functioning of the NHS regulatory institutions: socio‐political environment; governance and accountability; external relationships; clarity of purpose; organizational reputation; leadership and management; organizational stability; resources; organizational methods; and organizational performance. The organizations could be easily mapped onto the framework, and their transience between the different states could be monitored. We concluded that differing policy objectives for NHS quality monitoring resulted in central involvement and organizational change. This had a disruptive effect on the ability of the NHS to monitor quality. Constant professional leadership, both clinical and managerial, and basing decisions on best evidence, both technical and organizational, helped one institution to deliver on its remit, even within a changing political/policy environment. Application of the Waterman–Meier framework enabled an understanding and description of the dynamic relationship between central government and organizations in the NHS and may predict when tensions will arise in the future. © 2016 The Authors. The International Journal of Health Planning and Management Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. PMID:27435020

  17. Making Quality Health Websites a National Public Health Priority: Toward Quality Standards.

    PubMed

    Devine, Theresa; Broderick, Jordan; Harris, Linda M; Wu, Huijuan; Hilfiker, Sandra Williams

    2016-08-02

    Most US adults have limited health literacy skills. They struggle to understand complex health information and services and to make informed health decisions. The Internet has quickly become one of the most popular places for people to search for information about their health, thereby making access to quality information on the Web a priority. However, there are no standardized criteria for evaluating Web-based health information. Every 10 years, the US Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) develops a set of measurable objectives for improving the health of the nation over the coming decade, known as Healthy People. There are two objectives in Healthy People 2020 related to website quality. The first is objective Health Communication and Health Information Technology (HC/HIT) 8.1: increase the proportion of health-related websites that meet 3 or more evaluation criteria for disclosing information that can be used to assess information reliability. The second is objective HC/HIT-8.2: increase the proportion of health-related websites that follow established usability principles. The ODPHP conducted a nationwide assessment of the quality of Web-based health information using the Healthy People 2020 objectives. The ODPHP aimed to establish (1) a standardized approach to defining and measuring the quality of health websites; (2) benchmarks for measurement; (3) baseline data points to capture the current status of website quality; and (4) targets to drive improvement. The ODPHP developed the National Quality Health Website Survey instrument to assess the quality of health-related websites. The ODPHP used this survey to review 100 top-ranked health-related websites in order to set baseline data points for these two objectives. The ODPHP then set targets to drive improvement by 2020. This study reviewed 100 health-related websites. For objective HC/HIT-8.1, a total of 58 out of 100 (58.0%) websites met 3 or

  18. Boosting standard order sets utilization through clinical decision support.

    PubMed

    Li, Haomin; Zhang, Yinsheng; Cheng, Haixia; Lu, Xudong; Duan, Huilong

    2013-01-01

    Well-designed standard order sets have the potential to integrate and coordinate care by communicating best practices through multiple disciplines, levels of care, and services. However, there are several challenges which certainly affected the benefits expected from standard order sets. To boost standard order sets utilization, a problem-oriented knowledge delivery solution was proposed in this study to facilitate access of standard order sets and evaluation of its treatment effect. In this solution, standard order sets were created along with diagnostic rule sets which can trigger a CDS-based reminder to help clinician quickly discovery hidden clinical problems and corresponding standard order sets during ordering. Those rule set also provide indicators for targeted evaluation of standard order sets during treatment. A prototype system was developed based on this solution and will be presented at Medinfo 2013.

  19. Setting and Reviewing Standards to Control Ozone Pollution

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Ozone standards are part of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), which limit air pollution to protect health and the environment. Standards are periodically reviewed and updated, and air quality across the U.S. is measured against them.

  20. An International Standard Set of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures After Stroke.

    PubMed

    Salinas, Joel; Sprinkhuizen, Sara M; Ackerson, Teri; Bernhardt, Julie; Davie, Charlie; George, Mary G; Gething, Stephanie; Kelly, Adam G; Lindsay, Patrice; Liu, Liping; Martins, Sheila C O; Morgan, Louise; Norrving, Bo; Ribbers, Gerard M; Silver, Frank L; Smith, Eric E; Williams, Linda S; Schwamm, Lee H

    2016-01-01

    Value-based health care aims to bring together patients and health systems to maximize the ratio of quality over cost. To enable assessment of healthcare value in stroke management, an international standard set of patient-centered stroke outcome measures was defined for use in a variety of healthcare settings. A modified Delphi process was implemented with an international expert panel representing patients, advocates, and clinical specialists in stroke outcomes, stroke registers, global health, epidemiology, and rehabilitation to reach consensus on the preferred outcome measures, included populations, and baseline risk adjustment variables. Patients presenting to a hospital with ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage were selected as the target population for these recommendations, with the inclusion of transient ischemic attacks optional. Outcome categories recommended for assessment were survival and disease control, acute complications, and patient-reported outcomes. Patient-reported outcomes proposed for assessment at 90 days were pain, mood, feeding, selfcare, mobility, communication, cognitive functioning, social participation, ability to return to usual activities, and health-related quality of life, with mobility, feeding, selfcare, and communication also collected at discharge. One instrument was able to collect most patient-reported subdomains (9/16, 56%). Minimum data collection for risk adjustment included patient demographics, premorbid functioning, stroke type and severity, vascular and systemic risk factors, and specific treatment/care-related factors. A consensus stroke measure Standard Set was developed as a simple, pragmatic method to increase the value of stroke care. The set should be validated in practice when used for monitoring and comparisons across different care settings. © 2015 The Authors.

  1. Air Quality Modeling | Air Quality Planning & Standards | US ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    2016-06-08

    The basic mission of the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards is to preserve and improve the quality of our nation's air. One facet of accomplishing this goal requires that new and existing air pollution sources be modeled for compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

  2. Assessing Quality of Data Standards: Framework and Illustration Using XBRL GAAP Taxonomy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Hongwei; Wu, Harris

    The primary purpose of data standards or metadata schemas is to improve the interoperability of data created by multiple standard users. Given the high cost of developing data standards, it is desirable to assess the quality of data standards. We develop a set of metrics and a framework for assessing data standard quality. The metrics include completeness and relevancy. Standard quality can also be indirectly measured by assessing interoperability of data instances. We evaluate the framework using data from the financial sector: the XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language) GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) taxonomy and US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings produced using the taxonomy by approximately 500 companies. The results show that the framework is useful and effective. Our analysis also reveals quality issues of the GAAP taxonomy and provides useful feedback to taxonomy users. The SEC has mandated that all publicly listed companies must submit their filings using XBRL. Our findings are timely and have practical implications that will ultimately help improve the quality of financial data.

  3. Using Learning Analytics to Enhance Student Learning in Online Courses Based on Quality Matters Standards

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Florence; Ndoye, Abdou; Wilkins, Patricia

    2016-01-01

    Quality Matters is recognized as a rigorous set of standards that guide the designer or instructor to design quality online courses. We explore how Quality Matters standards guide the identification and analysis of learning analytics data to monitor and improve online learning. Descriptive data were collected for frequency of use, time spent, and…

  4. New Federal Air Quality Standards.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stopinski, O. W.

    The report discusses the current procedures for establishing air quality standards, the bases for standards, and, finally, proposed and final National Primary and Secondary Ambient Air Quality Standards for sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nonmethane hydrocarbons, photochemical oxidants, and nitrogen dioxide. (Author/RH)

  5. 75 FR 2938 - National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-19

    ...Based on its reconsideration of the primary and secondary national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for ozone (O3) set in March 2008, EPA proposes to set different primary and secondary standards than those set in 2008 to provide requisite protection of public health and welfare, respectively. With regard to the primary standard for O3, EPA proposes that the level of the 8-hour primary standard, which was set at 0.075 ppm in the 2008 final rule, should instead be set at a lower level within the range of 0.060 to 0.070 parts per million (ppm), to provide increased protection for children and other ``at risk'' populations against an array of O3-related adverse health effects that range from decreased lung function and increased respiratory symptoms to serious indicators of respiratory morbidity including emergency department visits and hospital admissions for respiratory causes, and possibly cardiovascular-related morbidity as well as total non-accidental and cardiopulmonary mortality. With regard to the secondary standard for O3, EPA proposes that the secondary O3 standard, which was set identical to the revised primary standard in the 2008 final rule, should instead be a new cumulative, seasonal standard expressed as an annual index of the sum of weighted hourly concentrations, cumulated over 12 hours per day (8 am to 8 pm) during the consecutive 3-month period within the O3 season with the maximum index value, set at a level within the range of 7 to 15 ppm- hours, to provide increased protection against O3-related adverse impacts on vegetation and forested ecosystems.

  6. Making Quality Health Websites a National Public Health Priority: Toward Quality Standards

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Background Most US adults have limited health literacy skills. They struggle to understand complex health information and services and to make informed health decisions. The Internet has quickly become one of the most popular places for people to search for information about their health, thereby making access to quality information on the Web a priority. However, there are no standardized criteria for evaluating Web-based health information. Every 10 years, the US Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) develops a set of measurable objectives for improving the health of the nation over the coming decade, known as Healthy People. There are two objectives in Healthy People 2020 related to website quality. The first is objective Health Communication and Health Information Technology (HC/HIT) 8.1: increase the proportion of health-related websites that meet 3 or more evaluation criteria for disclosing information that can be used to assess information reliability. The second is objective HC/HIT-8.2: increase the proportion of health-related websites that follow established usability principles. Objective The ODPHP conducted a nationwide assessment of the quality of Web-based health information using the Healthy People 2020 objectives. The ODPHP aimed to establish (1) a standardized approach to defining and measuring the quality of health websites; (2) benchmarks for measurement; (3) baseline data points to capture the current status of website quality; and (4) targets to drive improvement. Methods The ODPHP developed the National Quality Health Website Survey instrument to assess the quality of health-related websites. The ODPHP used this survey to review 100 top-ranked health-related websites in order to set baseline data points for these two objectives. The ODPHP then set targets to drive improvement by 2020. Results This study reviewed 100 health-related websites. For objective HC/HIT-8.1, a total of 58 out

  7. A standard for measuring metadata quality in spectral libraries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rasaiah, B.; Jones, S. D.; Bellman, C.

    2013-12-01

    A standard for measuring metadata quality in spectral libraries Barbara Rasaiah, Simon Jones, Chris Bellman RMIT University Melbourne, Australia barbara.rasaiah@rmit.edu.au, simon.jones@rmit.edu.au, chris.bellman@rmit.edu.au ABSTRACT There is an urgent need within the international remote sensing community to establish a metadata standard for field spectroscopy that ensures high quality, interoperable metadata sets that can be archived and shared efficiently within Earth observation data sharing systems. Metadata are an important component in the cataloguing and analysis of in situ spectroscopy datasets because of their central role in identifying and quantifying the quality and reliability of spectral data and the products derived from them. This paper presents approaches to measuring metadata completeness and quality in spectral libraries to determine reliability, interoperability, and re-useability of a dataset. Explored are quality parameters that meet the unique requirements of in situ spectroscopy datasets, across many campaigns. Examined are the challenges presented by ensuring that data creators, owners, and data users ensure a high level of data integrity throughout the lifecycle of a dataset. Issues such as field measurement methods, instrument calibration, and data representativeness are investigated. The proposed metadata standard incorporates expert recommendations that include metadata protocols critical to all campaigns, and those that are restricted to campaigns for specific target measurements. The implication of semantics and syntax for a robust and flexible metadata standard are also considered. Approaches towards an operational and logistically viable implementation of a quality standard are discussed. This paper also proposes a way forward for adapting and enhancing current geospatial metadata standards to the unique requirements of field spectroscopy metadata quality. [0430] BIOGEOSCIENCES / Computational methods and data processing [0480

  8. Correlation pattern recognition: optimal parameters for quality standards control of chocolate marshmallow candy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Flores, Jorge L.; García-Torales, G.; Ponce Ávila, Cristina

    2006-08-01

    This paper describes an in situ image recognition system designed to inspect the quality standards of the chocolate pops during their production. The essence of the recognition system is the localization of the events (i.e., defects) in the input images that affect the quality standards of pops. To this end, processing modules, based on correlation filter, and segmentation of images are employed with the objective of measuring the quality standards. Therefore, we designed the correlation filter and defined a set of features from the correlation plane. The desired values for these parameters are obtained by exploiting information about objects to be rejected in order to find the optimal discrimination capability of the system. Regarding this set of features, the pop can be correctly classified. The efficacy of the system has been tested thoroughly under laboratory conditions using at least 50 images, containing 3 different types of possible defects.

  9. INCITS W1.1 development update: appearance-based image quality standards for printers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zeise, Eric K.; Rasmussen, D. René; Ng, Yee S.; Dalal, Edul; McCarthy, Ann; Williams, Don

    2008-01-01

    In September 2000, INCITS W1 (the U.S. representative of ISO/IEC JTC1/SC28, the standardization committee for office equipment) was chartered to develop an appearance-based image quality standard. (1),(2) The resulting W1.1 project is based on a proposal (3) that perceived image quality can be described by a small set of broad-based attributes. There are currently six ad hoc teams, each working towards the development of standards for evaluation of perceptual image quality of color printers for one or more of these image quality attributes. This paper summarizes the work in progress of the teams addressing the attributes of Macro-Uniformity, Colour Rendition, Gloss & Gloss Uniformity, Text & Line Quality and Effective Resolution.

  10. Dishwashing water recycling system and related water quality standards for military use.

    PubMed

    Church, Jared; Verbyla, Matthew E; Lee, Woo Hyoung; Randall, Andrew A; Amundsen, Ted J; Zastrow, Dustin J

    2015-10-01

    As the demand for reliable and safe water supplies increases, both water quality and available quantity are being challenged by population growth and climate change. Greywater reuse is becoming a common practice worldwide; however, in remote locations of limited water supply, such as those encountered in military installations, it is desirable to expand its classification to include dishwashing water to maximize the conservation of fresh water. Given that no standards for dishwashing greywater reuse by the military are currently available, the current study determined a specific set of water quality standards for dishwater recycling systems for U.S. military field operations. A tentative water reuse standard for dishwashing water was developed based on federal and state regulations and guidelines for non-potable water, and the developed standard was cross-evaluated by monitoring water quality data from a full-scale dishwashing water recycling system using an innovative electrocoagulation and ultrafiltration process. Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) was also performed based on exposure scenarios derived from literature data. As a result, a specific set of dishwashing water reuse standards for field analysis (simple, but accurate) was finalized as follows: turbidity (<1 NTU), Escherichia coli (<50 cfu mL(-1)), and pH (6-9). UV254 was recommended as a surrogate for organic contaminants (e.g., BOD5), but requires further calibration steps for validation. The developed specific water standard is the first for dishwashing water reuse and will be expected to ensure that water quality is safe for field operations, but not so stringent that design complexity, cost, and operational and maintenance requirements will not be feasible for field use. In addition the parameters can be monitored using simple equipment in a field setting with only modest training requirements and real-time or rapid sample turn-around. This standard may prove useful in future development

  11. Standardized set-point acupuncture for migraines.

    PubMed

    Plank, Sharon; Goodard, Janet Lee; Pasierb, Lisa; Simunich, Thomas Jason; Croner, Jeanette Renee

    2013-01-01

    Migraine headaches are common, debilitating, underdiagnosed, and undertreated, and medications are not always effective. Research has shown that acupuncture may be an effective and safe adjuvant or alternative migraine treatment. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate whether a standardized set of acupuncture points, when used to deliver treatment over a predefined period of time, could reduce the frequency and intensity of migraines. This is a prospective interventional study using set point acupuncture for migraines. The study took place at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown, PA, USA. Participants were 59 individuals with a diagnosis of migraine. Acupuncture was administered 2 ×/wk for 4 wks, followed by 1 ×/wk for 4 more wks, using one set of acupoints. Participants collected daily headache diaries and migraine quality-of-life measurements on a personal digital assistant for 12 wks before starting the acupuncture intervention. Participants continued to record the frequency and intensity of their migraines during the intervention and for an additional 12 wks beyond the intervention. The Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS), Headache Impact Test (HIT-6), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) were completed 4 × during the study: 12 wks prior to the start of the intervention, immediately prior to the first acupuncture treatment, at the end of treatment, and 12 wks after the end of treatment. When preintervention measurements were compared to postintervention measurements, migraine frequency and pain intensity showed a significant decrease (α = 0.05) after acupuncture intervention. Results had not returned to the preintervention baseline even 12 wks after the last acupuncture session. Acupuncture significantly influenced migraine frequency and intensity in the study's participants when preintervention measurements were compared to postintervention measurements. These results indicate that not only did acupuncture decrease both the

  12. 50 CFR 270.15 - Quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Quality standards. 270.15 Section 270.15... Quality standards. (a) Each Council may develop and submit to NMFS for approval or, upon the request of a Council, NMFS will develop quality standards for the species of fish or fish products described in the...

  13. Situating Standard Setting within Argument-Based Validity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Papageorgiou, Spiros; Tannenbaum, Richard J.

    2016-01-01

    Although there has been substantial work on argument-based approaches to validation as well as standard-setting methodologies, it might not always be clear how standard setting fits into argument-based validity. The purpose of this article is to address this lack in the literature, with a specific focus on topics related to argument-based…

  14. Quality of haemophilia care in The Netherlands: new standards for optimal care.

    PubMed

    Leebeek, Frank W G; Fischer, Kathelijn

    2014-04-01

    In the Netherlands, the first formal haemophilia comprehensive care centre was established in 1964, and Dutch haemophilia doctors have been organised since 1972. Although several steps were taken to centralise haemophilia care and maintain quality of care, treatment was still delivered in many hospitals, and formal criteria for haemophilia treatment centres as well as a national haemophilia registry were lacking. In collaboration with patients and other stakeholders, Dutch haemophilia doctors have undertaken a formal process to draft new quality standards for the haemophilia treatment centres. First a project group including doctors, nurses, patients and the institute for harmonisation of quality standards undertook a literature study on quality standards and performed explorative visits to several haemophilia treatment centres in the Netherlands. Afterwards concept standards were defined and validated in two treatment centres. Next, the concept standards were evaluated by haemophilia doctors, patients, health insurance representatives and regulators. Finally, the final version of the standards of care was approved by Central body of Experts on quality standards in clinical care and the Dutch Ministry of Health. A team of expert auditors have been trained and, together with an independent auditor, will perform audits in haemophilia centres applying for formal certification. Concomitantly, a national registry for haemophilia and allied disorders is being set up. It is expected that these processes will lead to further concentration and improved quality of haemophilia care in the Netherlands.

  15. Accounting for both local aquatic community composition and bioavailability in setting site-specific quality standards for zinc.

    PubMed

    Peters, Adam; Simpson, Peter; Moccia, Alessandra

    2014-01-01

    Recent years have seen considerable improvement in water quality standards (QS) for metals by taking account of the effect of local water chemistry conditions on their bioavailability. We describe preliminary efforts to further refine water quality standards, by taking account of the composition of the local ecological community (the ultimate protection objective) in addition to bioavailability. Relevance of QS to the local ecological community is critical as it is important to minimise instances where quality classification using QS does not reconcile with a quality classification based on an assessment of the composition of the local ecology (e.g. using benthic macroinvertebrate quality assessment metrics such as River InVertebrate Prediction and Classification System (RIVPACS)), particularly where ecology is assessed to be at good or better status, whilst chemical quality is determined to be failing relevant standards. The alternative approach outlined here describes a method to derive a site-specific species sensitivity distribution (SSD) based on the ecological community which is expected to be present at the site in the absence of anthropogenic pressures (reference conditions). The method combines a conventional laboratory ecotoxicity dataset normalised for bioavailability with field measurements of the response of benthic macroinvertebrate abundance to chemical exposure. Site-specific QSref are then derived from the 5%ile of this SSD. Using this method, site QSref have been derived for zinc in an area impacted by historic mining activities. Application of QSref can result in greater agreement between chemical and ecological metrics of environmental quality compared with the use of either conventional (QScon) or bioavailability-based QS (QSbio). In addition to zinc, the approach is likely to be applicable to other metals and possibly other types of chemical stressors (e.g. pesticides). However, the methodology for deriving site-specific targets requires

  16. TRIBAL WATER QUALITY STANDARDS WORKSHOP

    EPA Science Inventory

    Water quality standards are the foundation for water management actions. They provide the basis for regulating discharges of pollutants to surface waters, and provide a target for restoration of degraded waters. Water quality standards identify and protect uses of the water bod...

  17. 76 FR 54293 - Review of National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Carbon Monoxide

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-31

    ...This rule is being issued at this time as required by a court order governing the schedule for completion of this review of the air quality criteria and the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for carbon monoxide (CO). Based on its review, the EPA concludes the current primary standards are requisite to protect public health with an adequate margin of safety, and is retaining those standards. After review of the air quality criteria, EPA further concludes that no secondary standard should be set for CO at this time. EPA is also making changes to the ambient air monitoring requirements for CO, including those related to network design, and is updating, without substantive change, aspects of the Federal reference method.

  18. Setting and Reviewing Standards to Control Lead (Pb) Pollution

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Lead (Pb) standards are part of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), which limit air pollution to protect health and the environment. Standards are periodically reviewed and updated, and air quality across the U.S. is measured against them.

  19. 40 CFR 130.3 - Water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... QUALITY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT § 130.3 Water quality standards. A water quality standard (WQS) defines the water quality goals of a water body, or portion thereof, by designating the use or uses to be made... 40 Protection of Environment 21 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Water quality standards. 130.3 Section...

  20. Reliability and Validity of 10 Different Standard Setting Procedures.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Halpin, Glennelle; Halpin, Gerald

    Research indicating that different cut-off points result from the use of different standard-setting techniques leaves decision makers with a disturbing dilemma: Which standard-setting method is best? This investigation of the reliability and validity of 10 different standard-setting approaches was designed to provide information that might help…

  1. Standard Setting: A Systematic Approach to Interpreting Student Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeMars, Christine E.; Sundre, Donna L.; Wise, Steven L.

    2002-01-01

    Describes workshops designed to set standards for freshman technological literacy at James Madison University (Virginia). Results indicated that about 30% of incoming freshmen could meet the standards set initially; by the end of the year, an additional 50-60% could meet them. Provides recommendations for standard setting in a general education…

  2. Construct Maps as a Foundation for Standard Setting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wyse, Adam E.

    2013-01-01

    Construct maps are tools that display how the underlying achievement construct upon which one is trying to set cut-scores is related to other information used in the process of standard setting. This article reviews what construct maps are, uses construct maps to provide a conceptual framework to view commonly used standard-setting procedures (the…

  3. 40 CFR 130.3 - Water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Water quality standards. 130.3 Section 130.3 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS WATER QUALITY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT § 130.3 Water quality standards. A water quality standard (WQS) defines...

  4. 40 CFR 130.3 - Water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Water quality standards. 130.3 Section 130.3 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS WATER QUALITY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT § 130.3 Water quality standards. A water quality standard (WQS) defines...

  5. 40 CFR 130.3 - Water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2014-07-01 2013-07-01 true Water quality standards. 130.3 Section 130.3 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS WATER QUALITY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT § 130.3 Water quality standards. A water quality standard (WQS) defines...

  6. 40 CFR 130.3 - Water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Water quality standards. 130.3 Section 130.3 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS WATER QUALITY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT § 130.3 Water quality standards. A water quality standard (WQS) defines...

  7. A Direct sensitivity approach to predict hourly ozone resulting from compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standard

    EPA Science Inventory

    In setting primary ambient air quality standards, the EPA’s responsibility under the law is to establish standards that protect public health. As part of the current review of the ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS), the US EPA evaluated the health exposure and ...

  8. Validity Issues in Standard-Setting Studies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pant, Hans A.; Rupp, Andre A.; Tiffin-Richards, Simon P.; Koller, Olaf

    2009-01-01

    Standard-setting procedures are a key component within many large-scale educational assessment systems. They are consensual approaches in which committees of experts set cut-scores on continuous proficiency scales, which facilitate communication of proficiency distributions of students to a wide variety of stakeholders. This communicative function…

  9. Results from a Community-Wide Pilot Program to Standardize COPD Education for Patients Across Healthcare Settings in Rhode Island.

    PubMed

    Pelland, Kimberly; Youssef, Rouba; Calandra, Kathleen; Cellar, Jennifer; Thiesen, Jennifer; Gardner, Rebekah

    2017-07-05

    Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with significant morbidity, decreased quality of life, and burdensome hospital admissions. Therefore, patients with COPD interact with clinicians in a number of healthcare settings. A coalition of healthcare practitioners in Rhode Island, in partnership with the local Quality Improvement Organization, designed and implemented a standardized, COPD education program for use across multiple healthcare settings. More than 60 organizations participated, producing 140 Master Trainers, who trained 634 staff members at their facilities from October 2015 through June 2016. Master Trainers were satisfied with the training, and we observed significant increases in knowledge scores post-training among all participants, which remained significant when stratified by setting. These results demonstrate that implementation of a community-based program to disseminate patient-centered, standardized COPD education in multiple healthcare settings is feasible. We hope this program will ultimately improve patient outcomes and serve as the foundation for expanding standardized education for other chronic conditions. [Full article available at http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal-2017-07.asp].

  10. [Assessing the balance of quality indicator sets of external quality assurance according to SGB V section 136].

    PubMed

    Doebler, Klaus; Geraedts, Max

    2017-12-20

    The value and usefulness of the results of indicator-based performance measurement in healthcare for different purposes do not only depend on the methodological quality of the individual indicators but also on the composition of the indicator sets. So far, the balance of the currently used indicator sets of the German mandatory national performance measurement system for hospitals has not been systematically analyzed. Due to the lack of a methodological gold standard for the assessment of balance and orientation of indicator sets we adapted the OECD concept of quality dimensions and defined four categories: 1) "Achieving primary goals of treatment", 2) "Avoiding adverse events", 3) "Indication" and 4) "Patient-centeredness". We defined rules for the assignment to the categories and analyzed the distribution of the 239 indicators from 29 medical areas in relation to these categories. 63 indicators (26.4 %) were assigned to the category "Achieving primary goals of treatment", 153 (64.0 %) to the category "Avoiding adverse events", 18 (7.5 %) to the category "Indication", one indicator (0.4 %) to the category "Patient-centeredness". Four indicators (1.7 %) addressed documentation quality. 12 of the 29 indicator sets only covered one OECD quality dimension by at least one indicator. The current indicator sets seem to be unbalanced with a strong focus on the category "Avoiding adverse events". As regards the goal of monitoring the compliance with minimal safety standards and performing improvement interventions, the direction of the indicator sets seems to be appropriate. With respect to other goals, such as for example the identification of "excellence", further development efforts are required. One relevant reason for the dominant focus on the category "Avoiding adverse events" seems to be that data sources for a follow-up and for the inclusion of the patient perspective have not been available until recently. There is a strong demand for the consequent use of

  11. Service quality in health care setting.

    PubMed

    Rashid, Wan Edura Wan; Jusoff, Hj Kamaruzaman

    2009-01-01

    This paper attempts to explore the concept of service quality in a health care setting. This paper probes the definition of service quality from technical and functional aspects for a better understanding on how consumers evaluate the quality of health care. It adopts the conceptual model of service quality frequently used by the most researchers in the health care sector. The paper also discusses several service quality dimensions and service quality problems in order to provide a more holistic conception of hospital service quality. The paper finds that service quality in health care is very complex as compared to other services because this sector highly involves risk. The paper adds a new perspective towards understanding how the concept of service quality is adopted in a health care setting.

  12. PREDICTING THE IMPACT OF TROPOSPHERIC OZONE ON ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES FOR SETTING NATIONAL AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Clean Air Act provides for establishing National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect public welfare (including crops, forests, ecosystems, and soils) from adverrse effects of air pollutants, including tropospheric ozone. The formulation of policies is science-bas...

  13. 7 CFR 996.30 - Incoming quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Incoming quality standards. 996.30 Section 996.30... Agreements and Orders; Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MINIMUM QUALITY AND HANDLING STANDARDS FOR DOMESTIC AND IMPORTED PEANUTS MARKETED IN THE UNITED STATES Quality and Handling Standards...

  14. Setting and Maintaining GCSE and GCE Grading Standards: The Case for Contextualised Cohort-Referencing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stringer, Neil Simon

    2012-01-01

    General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and General Certificate of Education (GCE) grading standards are determined by Awarding Bodies using procedures that adhere to the Code of Practice published by the regulator, Ofqual. Grade boundary marks (cut scores) are set using subject experts' (senior examiners) judgement of the quality of…

  15. Standard setting: the crucial issues. A case study of accounting & auditing.

    PubMed

    Nowakowski, J R

    1982-01-01

    A study of standard-setting efforts in accounting and auditing is reported. The study reveals four major areas of concern in a professional standard-setting effort: (1) issues related to the rationale for setting standards, (2) issues related to the standard-setting board and its support structure, (3) issues related to the content of standards and rules for generating them, and (4) issues that deal with how standards are put to use. Principles derived from the study of accounting and auditing are provided to illuminate and assess standard-setting efforts in evaluation.

  16. British standard (BS) 5750--quality assurance?

    PubMed

    Pratt, D J

    1995-04-01

    BS5750 is the British Standard on "Quality Systems". Its equivalent in European Standards is EN29000 and in the International Standards Organisation ISO9000. This paper points out that these standards lay down formalised procedures and require documentation but do not ipso facto lead to quality assurance. The author points to the Japanese post-war industrial success as being an example of Total Quality Management within the framework provided by the philosophy of Dr. W. Edwards Deming (1988 and 1993). This philosophy on the management of "systems" to provide high quality products and services is briefly outlined. The author argues that improvement in prosthetic and orthotic services will not be reached through implementation of BS5750 but rather through radical rethinking and the adoption and application of the Deming philosophy.

  17. E-Learning Quality Standards for Consumer Protection and Consumer Confidence: A Canadian Case Study in E-Learning Quality Assurance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barker, Kathryn Chang

    2007-01-01

    Emerging concerns about quality of e-learning products and services animated a project in Canada to create quality standards that derived primarily from the needs of consumer, that could be used to guide the development and choice of e-learning at all levels of education and training, and that could be implemented in a simple manner. A set of…

  18. 24 CFR 983.101 - Housing quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Housing quality standards. 983.101... DEVELOPMENT PROJECT-BASED VOUCHER (PBV) PROGRAM Dwelling Units § 983.101 Housing quality standards. (a) HQS applicability. Except as otherwise provided in this section, 24 CFR 982.401 (housing quality standards) applies...

  19. The Effect of Various Factors on Standard Setting.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Norcini, John J.; And Others

    1988-01-01

    Two studies of medical certification examinations were undertaken to assess standard setting using Angoff's Method. Results indicate that (1) specialization within broad content areas does not affect an expert's estimates of the performance of the borderline group; and (2) performance data should be provided during the standard-setting process.…

  20. Moving Forward--Shaping a Career Development Culture: Quality Standards, Quality Practice, Quality Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McMahon, Mary

    2004-01-01

    This paper represents the second of two papers written as part of the National Standards and Accreditation of Career Practitioners project. The first, a scoping paper titled Shaping a career development culture: Quality standards, quality practice, quality outcomes (McMahon, 2004), provided information for and guided discussion at the National…

  1. National Water Quality Standards Database (NWQSD)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The National Water Quality Standards Database (WQSDB) provides access to EPA and state water quality standards (WQS) information in text, tables, and maps. This data source was last updated in December 2007 and will no longer be updated.

  2. DEVELOPMENT OF A NATIONAL CONSENSUS STANDARD FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS

    EPA Science Inventory

    Decisions on where and how to clean-up Federally-owned facilities contaminated by mixtures of hazardous chemical and radioactive wastes requires that quality environmental data be obtained. he Federal Government currently using several different standards or sets of requirements ...

  3. Feasibility of establishing a biosafety level 3 tuberculosis culture laboratory of acceptable quality standards in a resource-limited setting: an experience from Uganda.

    PubMed

    Ssengooba, Willy; Gelderbloem, Sebastian J; Mboowa, Gerald; Wajja, Anne; Namaganda, Carolyn; Musoke, Philippa; Mayanja-Kizza, Harriet; Joloba, Moses Lutaakome

    2015-01-15

    Despite the recent innovations in tuberculosis (TB) and multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) diagnosis, culture remains vital for difficult-to-diagnose patients, baseline and end-point determination for novel vaccines and drug trials. Herein, we share our experience of establishing a BSL-3 culture facility in Uganda as well as 3-years performance indicators and post-TB vaccine trials (pioneer) and funding experience of sustaining such a facility. Between September 2008 and April 2009, the laboratory was set-up with financial support from external partners. After an initial procedure validation phase in parallel with the National TB Reference Laboratory (NTRL) and legal approvals, the laboratory registered for external quality assessment (EQA) from the NTRL, WHO, National Health Laboratories Services (NHLS), and the College of American Pathologists (CAP). The laboratory also instituted a functional quality management system (QMS). Pioneer funding ended in 2012 and the laboratory remained in self-sustainability mode. The laboratory achieved internationally acceptable standards in both structural and biosafety requirements. Of the 14 patient samples analyzed in the procedural validation phase, agreement for all tests with NTRL was 90% (P <0.01). It started full operations in October 2009 performing smear microscopy, culture, identification, and drug susceptibility testing (DST). The annual culture workload was 7,636, 10,242, and 2,712 inoculations for the years 2010, 2011, and 2012, respectively. Other performance indicators of TB culture laboratories were also monitored. Scores from EQA panels included smear microscopy >80% in all years from NTRL, CAP, and NHLS, and culture was 100% for CAP panels and above regional average scores for all years with NHLS. Quarterly DST scores from WHO-EQA ranged from 78% to 100% in 2010, 80% to 100% in 2011, and 90 to 100% in 2012. From our experience, it is feasible to set-up a BSL-3 TB culture laboratory with acceptable quality

  4. Evaluating the Bookmark Judgments of Standard-Setting Panelists

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Engelhard, George, Jr.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to describe a new approach for evaluating the judgments of standard-setting panelists within the context of the bookmark procedure. The bookmark procedure is widely used for setting performance standards on high-stakes assessments. A many-faceted Rasch (MFR) model is proposed for evaluating the bookmark judgments of…

  5. 7 CFR 28.107 - Original cotton standards and reserve sets.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Original cotton standards and reserve sets. 28.107... CONTAINER REGULATIONS COTTON CLASSING, TESTING, AND STANDARDS Regulations Under the United States Cotton Standards Act Practical Forms of Cotton Standards § 28.107 Original cotton standards and reserve sets. (a...

  6. 7 CFR 28.107 - Original cotton standards and reserve sets.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Original cotton standards and reserve sets. 28.107... CONTAINER REGULATIONS COTTON CLASSING, TESTING, AND STANDARDS Regulations Under the United States Cotton Standards Act Practical Forms of Cotton Standards § 28.107 Original cotton standards and reserve sets. (a...

  7. 7 CFR 28.107 - Original cotton standards and reserve sets.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Original cotton standards and reserve sets. 28.107... CONTAINER REGULATIONS COTTON CLASSING, TESTING, AND STANDARDS Regulations Under the United States Cotton Standards Act Practical Forms of Cotton Standards § 28.107 Original cotton standards and reserve sets. (a...

  8. 7 CFR 28.107 - Original cotton standards and reserve sets.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Original cotton standards and reserve sets. 28.107... CONTAINER REGULATIONS COTTON CLASSING, TESTING, AND STANDARDS Regulations Under the United States Cotton Standards Act Practical Forms of Cotton Standards § 28.107 Original cotton standards and reserve sets. (a...

  9. 7 CFR 28.107 - Original cotton standards and reserve sets.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Original cotton standards and reserve sets. 28.107... CONTAINER REGULATIONS COTTON CLASSING, TESTING, AND STANDARDS Regulations Under the United States Cotton Standards Act Practical Forms of Cotton Standards § 28.107 Original cotton standards and reserve sets. (a...

  10. Ambient assisted living healthcare frameworks, platforms, standards, and quality attributes.

    PubMed

    Memon, Mukhtiar; Wagner, Stefan Rahr; Pedersen, Christian Fischer; Beevi, Femina Hassan Aysha; Hansen, Finn Overgaard

    2014-03-04

    Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) is an emerging multi-disciplinary field aiming at exploiting information and communication technologies in personal healthcare and telehealth systems for countering the effects of growing elderly population. AAL systems are developed for personalized, adaptive, and anticipatory requirements, necessitating high quality-of-service to achieve interoperability, usability, security, and accuracy. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the AAL field with a focus on healthcare frameworks, platforms, standards, and quality attributes. To achieve this, we conducted a literature survey of state-of-the-art AAL frameworks, systems and platforms to identify the essential aspects of AAL systems and investigate the critical issues from the design, technology, quality-of-service, and user experience perspectives. In addition, we conducted an email-based survey for collecting usage data and current status of contemporary AAL systems. We found that most AAL systems are confined to a limited set of features ignoring many of the essential AAL system aspects. Standards and technologies are used in a limited and isolated manner, while quality attributes are often addressed insufficiently. In conclusion, we found that more inter-organizational collaboration, user-centered studies, increased standardization efforts, and a focus on open systems is needed to achieve more interoperable and synergetic AAL solutions.

  11. Ambient Assisted Living Healthcare Frameworks, Platforms, Standards, and Quality Attributes

    PubMed Central

    Memon, Mukhtiar; Wagner, Stefan Rahr; Pedersen, Christian Fischer; Beevi, Femina Hassan Aysha; Hansen, Finn Overgaard

    2014-01-01

    Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) is an emerging multi-disciplinary field aiming at exploiting information and communication technologies in personal healthcare and telehealth systems for countering the effects of growing elderly population. AAL systems are developed for personalized, adaptive, and anticipatory requirements, necessitating high quality-of-service to achieve interoperability, usability, security, and accuracy. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the AAL field with a focus on healthcare frameworks, platforms, standards, and quality attributes. To achieve this, we conducted a literature survey of state-of-the-art AAL frameworks, systems and platforms to identify the essential aspects of AAL systems and investigate the critical issues from the design, technology, quality-of-service, and user experience perspectives. In addition, we conducted an email-based survey for collecting usage data and current status of contemporary AAL systems. We found that most AAL systems are confined to a limited set of features ignoring many of the essential AAL system aspects. Standards and technologies are used in a limited and isolated manner, while quality attributes are often addressed insufficiently. In conclusion, we found that more inter-organizational collaboration, user-centered studies, increased standardization efforts, and a focus on open systems is needed to achieve more interoperable and synergetic AAL solutions. PMID:24599192

  12. Standard setting for OSCEs: trial of borderline approach.

    PubMed

    Kilminster, Sue; Roberts, Trudie

    2004-01-01

    OSCE examinations were held in May and June 2002 for all third and fourth year and some fifth year medical students at the University of Leeds. There has been an arbitrary pass mark of 65% for these examinations. However, we recognise that it is important to adopt a systematic approach towards standard setting in all examinations so held a trial of the borderline approach to standard setting for third and fifth year examinations. This paper reports our findings. The results for the year 3 OSCE demonstrated that the borderline approach to standard setting is feasible and offers a method to ensure that the pass standard is both justifiable and credible. It is efficient, requiring much less time than other methods and has the advantage of using the judgements of expert clinicians about actual practice. In addition it offers a way of empowering clinicians because it uses their expertise.

  13. 24 CFR 982.605 - SRO: Housing quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false SRO: Housing quality standards. 982... Types Single Room Occupancy (sro) § 982.605 SRO: Housing quality standards. (a) HQS standards for SRO...) (space and security). Since the SRO units will not house children, the housing quality standards in § 982...

  14. Counting quality because quality counts: differing standards in master's in medical education programmes.

    PubMed

    Pugsley, Lesley; Brigley, Stephen; Allery, Lynne; Macdonald, Janet

    2008-02-01

    In the United Kingdom the medical teacher role is being formalized. One result is that Masters level programmes in medical education are proliferating; however little or no attempt has been made to capture any differences in quality offered by them. A small scale project (Allery et al. 2006) set out to rectify this omission. Drawing on data from that study, this paper considers the variation in standards across programmes. Specifically research methods training provided in MMEd courses and levels of support for researchers is investigated. A secondary analysis of the data generated by the evaluative study and gathered via review of programme web sites, semi structured interviews with MSc course directors and case studies in two sites, identified from purposive sampling. Variations in both taught and research elements were identified. The quality of the research experience was compromised for some students many of whom were poorly prepared to undertake educational research and the question of standards raised in respect of those institutions where the examination process lacked real academic rigour. The variance in research methods training and support raises a number of issues in relation to quality standards. The medical education community needs to engage in open and critical dialogue around the whole constellation of paradigms, methods and activities that pertain in educational research. Unless or until we address these deeper concerns, research into medical education will suffer through a lack of design flair, implementation and rigour.

  15. Designing image segmentation studies: Statistical power, sample size and reference standard quality.

    PubMed

    Gibson, Eli; Hu, Yipeng; Huisman, Henkjan J; Barratt, Dean C

    2017-12-01

    Segmentation algorithms are typically evaluated by comparison to an accepted reference standard. The cost of generating accurate reference standards for medical image segmentation can be substantial. Since the study cost and the likelihood of detecting a clinically meaningful difference in accuracy both depend on the size and on the quality of the study reference standard, balancing these trade-offs supports the efficient use of research resources. In this work, we derive a statistical power calculation that enables researchers to estimate the appropriate sample size to detect clinically meaningful differences in segmentation accuracy (i.e. the proportion of voxels matching the reference standard) between two algorithms. Furthermore, we derive a formula to relate reference standard errors to their effect on the sample sizes of studies using lower-quality (but potentially more affordable and practically available) reference standards. The accuracy of the derived sample size formula was estimated through Monte Carlo simulation, demonstrating, with 95% confidence, a predicted statistical power within 4% of simulated values across a range of model parameters. This corresponds to sample size errors of less than 4 subjects and errors in the detectable accuracy difference less than 0.6%. The applicability of the formula to real-world data was assessed using bootstrap resampling simulations for pairs of algorithms from the PROMISE12 prostate MR segmentation challenge data set. The model predicted the simulated power for the majority of algorithm pairs within 4% for simulated experiments using a high-quality reference standard and within 6% for simulated experiments using a low-quality reference standard. A case study, also based on the PROMISE12 data, illustrates using the formulae to evaluate whether to use a lower-quality reference standard in a prostate segmentation study. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Higher Education Faculty Engagement in a Modified Mapmark Standard Setting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Horst, S. Jeanne; DeMars, Christine E.

    2016-01-01

    The Mapmark standard setting method was adapted to a higher education setting in which faculty leaders were highly involved. Eighteen university faculty members participated in a day-long standard setting for a general education communications test. In Round 1, faculty set initial cut-scores for each of four student learning objectives. In Rounds…

  17. Analysing data from patient-reported outcome and quality of life endpoints for cancer clinical trials: a start in setting international standards.

    PubMed

    Bottomley, Andrew; Pe, Madeline; Sloan, Jeff; Basch, Ethan; Bonnetain, Franck; Calvert, Melanie; Campbell, Alicyn; Cleeland, Charles; Cocks, Kim; Collette, Laurence; Dueck, Amylou C; Devlin, Nancy; Flechtner, Hans-Henning; Gotay, Carolyn; Greimel, Eva; Griebsch, Ingolf; Groenvold, Mogens; Hamel, Jean-Francois; King, Madeleine; Kluetz, Paul G; Koller, Michael; Malone, Daniel C; Martinelli, Francesca; Mitchell, Sandra A; Moinpour, Carol M; Musoro, Jammbe; O'Connor, Daniel; Oliver, Kathy; Piault-Louis, Elisabeth; Piccart, Martine; Pimentel, Francisco L; Quinten, Chantal; Reijneveld, Jaap C; Schürmann, Christoph; Smith, Ashley Wilder; Soltys, Katherine M; Taphoorn, Martin J B; Velikova, Galina; Coens, Corneel

    2016-11-01

    Measures of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and other patient-reported outcomes generate important data in cancer randomised trials to assist in assessing the risks and benefits of cancer therapies and fostering patient-centred cancer care. However, the various ways these measures are analysed and interpreted make it difficult to compare results across trials, and hinders the application of research findings to inform publications, product labelling, clinical guidelines, and health policy. To address these problems, the Setting International Standards in Analyzing Patient-Reported Outcomes and Quality of Life Endpoints Data (SISAQOL) initiative has been established. This consortium, directed by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), was convened to provide recommendations on how to standardise the analysis of HRQOL and other patient-reported outcomes data in cancer randomised trials. This Personal View discusses the reasons why this project was initiated, the rationale for the planned work, and the expected benefits to cancer research, patient and provider decision making, care delivery, and policy making. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Adopting Cut Scores: Post-Standard-Setting Panel Considerations for Decision Makers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Geisinger, Kurt F.; McCormick, Carina M.

    2010-01-01

    Standard-setting studies utilizing procedures such as the Bookmark or Angoff methods are just one component of the complete standard-setting process. Decision makers ultimately must determine what they believe to be the most appropriate standard or cut score to use, employing the input of the standard-setting panelists as one piece of information…

  19. 78 FR 54517 - Water Quality Standards Regulatory Clarifications

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-09-04

    ... 131 Water Quality Standards Regulatory Clarifications; Proposed Rule #0;#0;Federal Register / Vol. 78... AGENCY 40 CFR Part 131 [EPA-HQ-OW-2010-0606; FRL-9839-7] RIN 2040-AF 16 Water Quality Standards... Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing changes to the federal water quality standards (WQS...

  20. 7 CFR 953.43 - Minimum standards of quality.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Minimum standards of quality. 953.43 Section 953.43... SOUTHEASTERN STATES Order Regulating Handling Regulations § 953.43 Minimum standards of quality. (a) Recommendation. Whenever the committee deems it advisable to establish and maintain minimum standards of quality...

  1. 7 CFR 953.43 - Minimum standards of quality.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 8 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Minimum standards of quality. 953.43 Section 953.43... SOUTHEASTERN STATES Order Regulating Handling Regulations § 953.43 Minimum standards of quality. (a) Recommendation. Whenever the committee deems it advisable to establish and maintain minimum standards of quality...

  2. 7 CFR 953.43 - Minimum standards of quality.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 8 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Minimum standards of quality. 953.43 Section 953.43... SOUTHEASTERN STATES Order Regulating Handling Regulations § 953.43 Minimum standards of quality. (a) Recommendation. Whenever the committee deems it advisable to establish and maintain minimum standards of quality...

  3. 7 CFR 953.43 - Minimum standards of quality.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 8 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Minimum standards of quality. 953.43 Section 953.43... SOUTHEASTERN STATES Order Regulating Handling Regulations § 953.43 Minimum standards of quality. (a) Recommendation. Whenever the committee deems it advisable to establish and maintain minimum standards of quality...

  4. 7 CFR 953.43 - Minimum standards of quality.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 8 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Minimum standards of quality. 953.43 Section 953.43... SOUTHEASTERN STATES Order Regulating Handling Regulations § 953.43 Minimum standards of quality. (a) Recommendation. Whenever the committee deems it advisable to establish and maintain minimum standards of quality...

  5. [Study on quality standards of decoction pieces of salt Alpinia].

    PubMed

    Li, Wenbing; Hu, Changjiang; Long, Lanyan; Huang, Qinwan; Xie, Xiuqiong

    2010-12-01

    To establish the quality criteria for decoction pieces of salt Alpinia. Decoction pieces of salt Alpinia were measured with moisture, total ash, acid-insoluble ash, water-extract and volatile oils according to the procedures recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2010. The content of Nootkatone was determined by HPLC, and NaCl, by chloridion electrode method. We obtained results of total ash, acid-insoluble ash, water-extract and volatile oils of 10 batches of decoction pieces of salt Alpinia moisture; Meanwhile we set the HPLC and chloridion electrode method. This research established a fine quality standard for decoction pieces of salt Alpinia.

  6. UK key performance indicators and quality assurance standards for colonoscopy.

    PubMed

    Rees, Colin J; Thomas Gibson, Siwan; Rutter, Matt D; Baragwanath, Phil; Pullan, Rupert; Feeney, Mark; Haslam, Neil

    2016-12-01

    Colonoscopy should be delivered by endoscopists performing high quality procedures. The British Society of Gastroenterology, the UK Joint Advisory Group on GI Endoscopy, and the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland have developed quality assurance measures and key performance indicators for the delivery of colonoscopy within the UK. This document sets minimal standards for delivery of procedures along with aspirational targets that all endoscopists should aim for. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  7. Using the Many-Faceted Rasch Model to Evaluate Standard Setting Judgments: An Illustration with the Advanced Placement Environmental Science Exam

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaliski, Pamela K.; Wind, Stefanie A.; Engelhard, George, Jr.; Morgan, Deanna L.; Plake, Barbara S.; Reshetar, Rosemary A.

    2013-01-01

    The many-faceted Rasch (MFR) model has been used to evaluate the quality of ratings on constructed response assessments; however, it can also be used to evaluate the quality of judgments from panel-based standard setting procedures. The current study illustrates the use of the MFR model for examining the quality of ratings obtained from a standard…

  8. Standards of care and quality indicators for multidisciplinary care models for psoriatic arthritis in Spain.

    PubMed

    Gratacós, Jordi; Luelmo, Jesús; Rodríguez, Jesús; Notario, Jaume; Marco, Teresa Navío; de la Cueva, Pablo; Busquets, Manel Pujol; Font, Mercè García; Joven, Beatriz; Rivera, Raquel; Vega, Jose Luis Alvarez; Álvarez, Antonio Javier Chaves; Parera, Ricardo Sánchez; Carrascosa, Jose Carlos Ruiz; Martínez, Fernando José Rodríguez; Sánchez, José Pardo; Olmos, Carlos Feced; Pujol, Conrad; Galindez, Eva; Barrio, Silvia Pérez; Arana, Ana Urruticoechea; Hergueta, Mercedes; Coto, Pablo; Queiro, Rubén

    2018-06-01

    To define and give priority to standards of care and quality indicators of multidisciplinary care for patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). A systematic literature review on PsA standards of care and quality indicators was performed. An expert panel of rheumatologists and dermatologists who provide multidisciplinary care was established. In a consensus meeting group, the experts discussed and developed the standards of care and quality indicators and graded their priority, agreement and also the feasibility (only for quality indicators) following qualitative methodology and a Delphi process. Afterwards, these results were discussed with 2 focus groups, 1 with patients, another with health managers. A descriptive analysis is presented. We obtained 25 standards of care (9 of structure, 9 of process, 7 of results) and 24 quality indicators (2 of structure, 5 of process, 17 of results). Standards of care include relevant aspects in the multidisciplinary care of PsA patients like an appropriate physical infrastructure and technical equipment, the access to nursing care, labs and imaging techniques, other health professionals and treatments, or the development of care plans. Regarding quality indicators, the definition of multidisciplinary care model objectives and referral criteria, the establishment of responsibilities and coordination among professionals and the active evaluation of patients and data collection were given a high priority. Patients considered all of them as important. This set of standards of care and quality indicators for the multidisciplinary care of patients with PsA should help improve quality of care in these patients.

  9. Features of standardized nursing terminology sets in Japan.

    PubMed

    Sagara, Kaoru; Abe, Akinori; Ozaku, Hiromi Itoh; Kuwahara, Noriaki; Kogure, Kiyoshi

    2006-01-01

    This paper reports the features and relationships between standardizes nursing terminology sets used in Japan. First, we analyzed the common parts in five standardized nursing terminology sets: the Japan Nursing Practice Standard Master (JNPSM) that includes the names of nursing activities and is built by the Medical Information Center Development Center (MEDIS-DC); the labels of the Japan Classification of Nursing Practice (JCNP), built by the term advisory committee in the Japan Academy of Nursing Science; the labels of the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP) translated to Japanese; the labels, domain names, and class names of the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA) Nursing Diagnoses 2003-2004 translated to Japanese; and the terms included in the labels of Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) translated to Japanese. Then we compared them with terms in a thesaurus dictionary, the Bunrui Goihyo, that contains general Japanese words and is built by the National Institute for Japanese Language. 1) the level of interchangeability between four standardized nursing terminology sets is quite low; 2) abbreviations and katakana words are frequently used to express nursing activities; 3) general Japanese words are usually used to express the status or situation of patients.

  10. Setting, Evaluating, and Maintaining Certification Standards with the Rasch Model.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grosse, Martin E.; Wright, Benjamin D.

    1986-01-01

    Based on the standard setting procedures or the American Board of Preventive Medicine for their Core Test, this article describes how Rasch measurement can facilitate using test content judgments in setting a standard. Rasch measurement can then be used to evaluate and improve the precision of the standard and to hold it constant across time.…

  11. State Air Quality Standards.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pollution Engineering, 1978

    1978-01-01

    This article presents in tabular form the air quality standards for sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, photochemicals, non-methane hydrocarbons and particulates for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. (CS)

  12. Standards for Implementing Quality Prekindergarten Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maryland State Dept. of Education, Baltimore. Div. of Instruction.

    These standards are provided to promote the achievement of excellence in Maryland's public school prekindergarten programs. To that end, this document delineates standards of quality and provides a list of indicators that concretely describe what a program will look like if the standards are being met. The standards and indicators address seven…

  13. BASIS FOR PRIMARY AIR QUALITY CRITERIA AND STANDARDS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Environmental Criteria and Assessment Office and the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards are charged with responsibility for reviewing and assessing air quality criteria and air quality standards, respectively. Since adoption of the 1977 Clean Air Act Amendments, the...

  14. Maternal Quality Standards for Children's Television Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nikken, Peter; And Others

    1996-01-01

    Investigates the standards mothers use to evaluate four types of children's television programs: (1) cartoons; (2) news programs for children; (3) educational children's programs; and (4) dramatic children's programs. Three quality standards considered most important were comprehensibility, aesthetic quality, and elicitation of involvement.…

  15. Leveraging Standards to Promote Program Quality

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Young, Michelle D.; Mawhinney, Hanna; Reed, Cynthia J.

    2016-01-01

    Standards provide a foundation for thinking about leadership development and practice. This article explores three sets of standards that impact educational leadership preparation: (a) the recently revised Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) standards, which are now known as the Practice Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL);…

  16. Air Pollution Monitoring | Air Quality Planning & Standards ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    2016-06-08

    The basic mission of the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards is to preserve and improve the quality of our nation's air. To accomplish this, OAQPS must be able to evaluate the status of the atmosphere as compared to clean air standards and historical information.

  17. Setting Standards for Minimum Competency Tests.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mehrens, William A.

    Some general questions about minimum competency tests are discussed, and various methods of setting standards are reviewed with major attention devoted to those methods used for dichotomizing a continuum. Methods reviewed under the heading of Absolute Judgments of Test Content include Nedelsky's, Angoff's, Ebel's, and Jaeger's. These methods are…

  18. Standardized network order sets in rural Ontario: a follow-up report on successes and sustainability.

    PubMed

    Rawn, Andrea; Wilson, Katrina

    2011-01-01

    Unifying, implementing and sustaining a large order set project requires strategic placement of key organizational professionals to provide ongoing user education, communication and support. This article will outline the successful strategies implemented by the Grey Bruce Health Network, Evidence-Based Care Program to reduce length of stay, increase patient satisfaction and increase the use of best practices resulting in quality outcomes, safer practice and better allocation of resources by using standardized Order Sets within a network of 11 hospital sites. Audits conducted in 2007 and again in 2008 revealed a reduced length of stay of 0.96 in-patient days when order sets were used on admission and readmission for the same or a related diagnosis within one month decreased from 5.5% without order sets to 3.5% with order sets.

  19. Evaluation of thermal cameras in quality systems according to ISO 9000 or EN 45000 standards

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chrzanowski, Krzysztof

    2001-03-01

    According to the international standards ISO 9001-9004 and EN 45001-45003 the industrial plants and the accreditation laboratories that implemented the quality systems according to these standards are required to evaluate an uncertainty of measurements. Manufacturers of thermal cameras do not offer any data that could enable estimation of measurement uncertainty of these imagers. Difficulties in determining the measurement uncertainty is an important limitation of thermal cameras for applications in the industrial plants and the cooperating accreditation laboratories that have implemented these quality systems. A set of parameters for characterization of commercial thermal cameras, a measuring set, some results of testing of these cameras, a mathematical model of uncertainty, and a software that enables quick calculation of uncertainty of temperature measurements with thermal cameras are presented in this paper.

  20. An International Collaborative Standardizing a Comprehensive Patient-Centered Outcomes Measurement Set for Colorectal Cancer.

    PubMed

    Zerillo, Jessica A; Schouwenburg, Maartje G; van Bommel, Annelotte C M; Stowell, Caleb; Lippa, Jacob; Bauer, Donna; Berger, Ann M; Boland, Gilles; Borras, Josep M; Buss, Mary K; Cima, Robert; Van Cutsem, Eric; van Duyn, Eino B; Finlayson, Samuel R G; Hung-Chun Cheng, Skye; Langelotz, Corinna; Lloyd, John; Lynch, Andrew C; Mamon, Harvey J; McAllister, Pamela K; Minsky, Bruce D; Ngeow, Joanne; Abu Hassan, Muhammad R; Ryan, Kim; Shankaran, Veena; Upton, Melissa P; Zalcberg, John; van de Velde, Cornelis J; Tollenaar, Rob

    2017-05-01

    Global health systems are shifting toward value-based care in an effort to drive better outcomes in the setting of rising health care costs. This shift requires a common definition of value, starting with the outcomes that matter most to patients. The International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM), a nonprofit initiative, was formed to define standard sets of outcomes by medical condition. In this article, we report the efforts of ICHOM's working group in colorectal cancer. The working group was composed of multidisciplinary oncology specialists in medicine, surgery, radiation therapy, palliative care, nursing, and pathology, along with patient representatives. Through a modified Delphi process during 8 months (July 8, 2015 to February 29, 2016), ICHOM led the working group to a consensus on a final recommended standard set. The process was supported by a systematic PubMed literature review (1042 randomized clinical trials and guidelines from June 3, 2005, to June 3, 2015), a patient focus group (11 patients with early and metastatic colorectal cancer convened during a teleconference in August 2015), and a patient validation survey (among 276 patients with and survivors of colorectal cancer between October 15, 2015, and November 4, 2015). After consolidating findings of the literature review and focus group meeting, a list of 40 outcomes was presented to the WG and underwent voting. The final recommendation includes outcomes in the following categories: survival and disease control, disutility of care, degree of health, and quality of death. Selected case-mix factors were recommended to be collected at baseline to facilitate comparison of results across treatments and health care professionals. A standardized set of patient-centered outcome measures to inform value-based health care in colorectal cancer was developed. Pilot efforts are under way to measure the standard set among members of the working group.

  1. Adaptation and implementation of standardized order sets in a network of multi-hospital corporations in rural Ontario.

    PubMed

    Meleskie, Jessica; Eby, Don

    2009-01-01

    Standardized, preprinted or computer-generated physician orders are an attractive project for organizations that wish to improve the quality of patient care. The successful development and maintenance of order sets is a major undertaking. This article recounts the collaborative experience of the Grey Bruce Health Network in adapting and implementing an existing set of physician orders for use in its three hospital corporations. An Order Set Committee composed of primarily front-line staff was given authority over the order set development, approval and implementation processes. This arrangement bypassed the traditional approval process and facilitated the rapid implementation of a large number of order sets in a short time period.

  2. Developing a Standard Set of Patient-Centred Outcomes for Inflammatory Bowel Disease-an International, Cross-disciplinary Consensus.

    PubMed

    Kim, Andrew H; Roberts, Charlotte; Feagan, Brian G; Banerjee, Rupa; Bemelman, Willem; Bodger, Keith; Derieppe, Marc; Dignass, Axel; Driscoll, Richard; Fitzpatrick, Ray; Gaarentstroom-Lunt, Janette; Higgins, Peter D; Kotze, Paulo Gustavo; Meissner, Jillian; O'Connor, Marian; Ran, Zhi-Hua; Siegel, Corey A; Terry, Helen; van Deen, Welmoed K; van der Woude, C Janneke; Weaver, Alandra; Yang, Suk-Kyun; Sands, Bruce E; Vermeire, Séverine; Travis, Simon Pl

    2018-03-28

    Success in delivering value-based healthcare involves measuring outcomes that matter most to patients. Our aim was to develop a minimum Standard Set of patient-centred outcome measures for inflammatory bowel disease [IBD], for use in different healthcare settings. An international working group [n = 25] representing patients, patient associations, gastroenterologists, surgeons, specialist nurses, IBD registries and patient-reported outcome measure [PROM] methodologists participated in a series of teleconferences incorporating a modified Delphi process. Systematic review of existing literature, registry data, patient focus groups and open review periods were used to reach consensus on a minimum set of standard outcome measures and risk adjustment variables. Similar methodology has been used in 21 other disease areas [www.ichom.org]. A minimum Standard Set of outcomes was developed for patients [aged ≥16] with IBD. Outcome domains included survival and disease control [survival, disease activity/remission, colorectal cancer, anaemia], disutility of care [treatment-related complications], healthcare utilization [IBD-related admissions, emergency room visits] and patient-reported outcomes [including quality of life, nutritional status and impact of fistulae] measured at baseline and at 6 or 12 month intervals. A single PROM [IBD-Control questionnaire] was recommended in the Standard Set and minimum risk adjustment data collected at baseline and annually were included: demographics, basic clinical information and treatment factors. A Standard Set of outcome measures for IBD has been developed based on evidence, patient input and specialist consensus. It provides an international template for meaningful, comparable and easy-to-interpret measures as a step towards achieving value-based healthcare in IBD.

  3. 40 CFR 52.14 - State ambient air quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false State ambient air quality standards. 52.14 Section 52.14 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS... quality standards. Any ambient air quality standard submitted with a plan which is less stringent than a...

  4. 40 CFR 52.14 - State ambient air quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false State ambient air quality standards. 52.14 Section 52.14 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS... quality standards. Any ambient air quality standard submitted with a plan which is less stringent than a...

  5. 40 CFR 52.14 - State ambient air quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false State ambient air quality standards. 52.14 Section 52.14 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS... quality standards. Any ambient air quality standard submitted with a plan which is less stringent than a...

  6. 40 CFR 52.14 - State ambient air quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false State ambient air quality standards. 52.14 Section 52.14 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS... quality standards. Any ambient air quality standard submitted with a plan which is less stringent than a...

  7. 40 CFR 52.14 - State ambient air quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false State ambient air quality standards. 52.14 Section 52.14 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS... quality standards. Any ambient air quality standard submitted with a plan which is less stringent than a...

  8. Developing policy, standard orders, and quality-assurance monitoring for palliative sedation therapy.

    PubMed

    Ghafoor, Virginia L; Silus, Lauren S

    2011-03-15

    The development of a policy, evidence-based standard orders, and monitoring for palliative sedation therapy (PST) is described. Concerns regarding PST at the University of Minnesota Medical Center (UMMC) arose and needed to be addressed in a formal process. A multidisciplinary group consisting of palliative care physicians, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and clinical pharmacy specialists reached consensus on the practice model and medications to be used for PST. Major elements of the plan included the development and implementation of an institutional policy for palliative sedation; standard orders for patient care, sedation, and monitoring; education for staff, patients, and patients' family members; and quality-assurance monitoring. A literature review was performed to identify research and guidelines defining the practice of PST. Policy content includes the use of a standard order set linking patient care, medication administration, the monitoring of sedation, and symptom management. Approval of the policy involved several UMMC committees. An evaluation matrix was used to determine critical areas for PST monitoring and to guide development of a form to monitor quality. A retrospective chart audit using the quality-assurance monitoring form assessed baseline sedation medication and patient outcomes. Assessment of compliance began in the fall of 2008, after the policy and standard orders were approved by the UMMC medical executive committee. In 2008, two cases of PST were monitored using the standardized form. PST cases will be continually monitored and analyzed. Development of policy, standard orders, and quality-assurance monitoring for PST required a formal multidisciplinary process. A process-improvement process is critical to defining institutional policy, educational goals, and outcome metrics for PST.

  9. [Procedure of seed quality testing and seed grading standard of Prunus humilis].

    PubMed

    Wen, Hao; Ren, Guang-Xi; Gao, Ya; Luo, Jun; Liu, Chun-Sheng; Li, Wei-Dong

    2014-11-01

    So far there exists no corresponding quality test procedures and grading standards for the seed of Prunus humilis, which is one of the important source of base of semen pruni. Therefor we set up test procedures that are adapt to characteristics of the P. humilis seed through the study of the test of sampling, seed purity, thousand-grain weight, seed moisture, seed viability and germination percentage. 50 cases of seed specimens of P. humilis tested. The related data were analyzed by cluster analysis. Through this research, the seed quality test procedure was developed, and the seed quality grading standard was formulated. The seed quality of each grade should meet the following requirements: for first grade seeds, germination percentage ≥ 68%, thousand-grain weight 383 g, purity ≥ 93%, seed moisture ≤ 5%; for second grade seeds, germination percentage ≥ 26%, thousand-grain weight ≥ 266 g, purity ≥ 73%, seed moisture ≤9%; for third grade seeds, germination percentage ≥ 10%, purity ≥ 50%, thousand-grain weight ≥ 08 g, seed moisture ≤ 13%.

  10. Deriving Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Standards

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tango, Peter J.; Batiuk, Richard A.

    2013-01-01

    Achieving and maintaining the water quality conditions necessary to protect the aquatic living resources of the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries has required a foundation of quantifiable water quality criteria. Quantitative criteria serve as a critical basis for assessing the attainment of designated uses and measuring progress toward meeting water quality goals of the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership. In 1987, the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership committed to defining the water quality conditions necessary to protect aquatic living resources. Under section 303(c) of the Clean Water Act, States and authorized tribes have the primary responsibility for adopting water quality standards into law or regulation. The Chesapeake Bay Program partnership worked with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop and publish a guidance framework of ambient water quality criteria with designated uses and assessment procedures for dissolved oxygen, water clarity, and chlorophyll a for Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries in 2003. This article reviews the derivation of the water quality criteria, criteria assessment protocols, designated use boundaries, and their refinements published in six addendum documents since 2003 and successfully adopted into each jurisdiction's water quality standards used in developing the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load.

  11. Science and Art of Setting Performance Standards and Cutoff Scores in Kinesiology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhu, Weimo

    2013-01-01

    Setting standards and cutoff scores is essential to any measurement and evaluation practice. Two evaluation frameworks, norm-referenced (NR) and criterion-referenced (CR), have often been used for setting standards. Although setting fitness standards based on the NR evaluation is relatively easy as long as a nationally representative sample can be…

  12. Failure of Standard Training Sets in the Analysis of Fast-Scan Cyclic Voltammetry Data.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Justin A; Rodeberg, Nathan T; Wightman, R Mark

    2016-03-16

    The use of principal component regression, a multivariate calibration method, in the analysis of in vivo fast-scan cyclic voltammetry data allows for separation of overlapping signal contributions, permitting evaluation of the temporal dynamics of multiple neurotransmitters simultaneously. To accomplish this, the technique relies on information about current-concentration relationships across the scan-potential window gained from analysis of training sets. The ability of the constructed models to resolve analytes depends critically on the quality of these data. Recently, the use of standard training sets obtained under conditions other than those of the experimental data collection (e.g., with different electrodes, animals, or equipment) has been reported. This study evaluates the analyte resolution capabilities of models constructed using this approach from both a theoretical and experimental viewpoint. A detailed discussion of the theory of principal component regression is provided to inform this discussion. The findings demonstrate that the use of standard training sets leads to misassignment of the current-concentration relationships across the scan-potential window. This directly results in poor analyte resolution and, consequently, inaccurate quantitation, which may lead to erroneous conclusions being drawn from experimental data. Thus, it is strongly advocated that training sets be obtained under the experimental conditions to allow for accurate data analysis.

  13. Higher Education Quality Assessment Model: Towards Achieving Educational Quality Standard

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Noaman, Amin Y.; Ragab, Abdul Hamid M.; Madbouly, Ayman I.; Khedra, Ahmed M.; Fayoumi, Ayman G.

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents a developed higher education quality assessment model (HEQAM) that can be applied for enhancement of university services. This is because there is no universal unified quality standard model that can be used to assess the quality criteria of higher education institutes. The analytical hierarchy process is used to identify the…

  14. Judgmental Standard Setting Using a Cognitive Components Model.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGinty, Dixie; Neel, John H.

    A new standard setting approach is introduced, called the cognitive components approach. Like the Angoff method, the cognitive components method generates minimum pass levels (MPLs) for each item. In both approaches, the item MPLs are summed for each judge, then averaged across judges to yield the standard. In the cognitive components approach,…

  15. The case for regime-based water quality standards

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Poole, Geoffrey C.; Dunham, J.B.; Keenan, D.M.; Sauter, S.T.; McCullough, D.A.; Mebane, Christopher; Lockwood, Jeffrey C.; Essig, Don A.; Hicks, Mark P.; Sturdevant, Debra J.; Materna, E.J.; Spalding, M.; Risley, John; Deppman, Marianne

    2004-01-01

    Conventional water quality standards have been successful in reducing the concentration of toxic substances in US waters. However, conventional standards are based on simple thresholds and are therefore poorly structured to address human-caused imbalances in dynamic, natural water quality parameters, such as nutrients, sediment, and temperature. A more applicable type of water quality standarda??a a??regime standarda??a??would describe desirable distributions of conditions over space and time within a stream network. By mandating the protection and restoration of the aquatic ecosystem dynamics that are required to support beneficial uses in streams, well-designed regime standards would facilitate more effective strategies for management of natural water quality parameters.

  16. Quality Measurement in Early Childhood Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zaslow, Martha, Ed.; Martinez-Beck, Ivelisse, Ed.; Tout, Kathryn, Ed.; Halle, Tamara, Ed.

    2011-01-01

    What constitutes quality in early childhood settings, and how can it best be measured with today's widely used tools and promising new approaches? Find authoritative answers in this book, a must-have for high-level administrators and policymakers as more and more states adopt early childhood Quality Rating and Improvement Systems. The most…

  17. Evaluating Education Quality in Terms of ISO9000 Standards

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fengchun, Cheng; Vogel, Linda R.; Zhaoyu, Zheng

    2014-01-01

    While nations measure the quality of educational systems by different standards, many nations, such as China, have adopted the ISO9000 quality standards to assess the quality of schools. This article explores the various elements of the the ISO9000 standards and how each element relates to the various groups that are consumers or stakeholders in…

  18. Patient Core Data Set. Standard for a longitudinal health/medical record.

    PubMed

    Renner, A L; Swart, J C

    1997-01-01

    Blue Chip Computers Company, in collaboration with Wright State University-Miami Valley College of Nursing and Health, with support from the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, Public Health Service, completed Small Business innovative Research research to design a comprehensive integrated Patient information System. The Wright State University consultants undertook the development of a Patient Core Data Set (PCDS) in response to the lack of uniform standards of minimum data sets, and lack of standards in data transfer for continuity of care. The purpose of the Patient Core Data Set is to develop a longitudinal patient health record and medical history using a common set of standard data elements with uniform definitions and coding consistent with Health Level 7 (HL7) protocol and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. The PCDS, intended for transfer across all patient-care settings, is essential information for clinicians, administrators, researchers, and health policy makers.

  19. Coming Full Circle in Standard Setting: A Commentary on Wyse

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Skaggs, Gary

    2013-01-01

    The construct map is a particularly good way to approach instrument development, and this author states that he was delighted to read Adam Wyse's thoughts about how to use construct maps for standard setting. For a number of popular standard-setting methods, Wyse shows how typical feedback to panelists fits within a construct map framework.…

  20. Effect of Content Knowledge on Angoff-Style Standard Setting Judgments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Margolis, Melissa J.; Mee, Janet; Clauser, Brian E.; Winward, Marcia; Clauser, Jerome C.

    2016-01-01

    Evidence to support the credibility of standard setting procedures is a critical part of the validity argument for decisions made based on tests that are used for classification. One area in which there has been limited empirical study is the impact of standard setting judge selection on the resulting cut score. One important issue related to…

  1. PREDICTING THE IMPACT OF TROPOSPHERIC OZONE ON PLANTS AND ECOSYSTEMS AS A BASIS FOR SETTING NATIONAL AIR QUALITY STANDARDS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Clean Air Act provides for establishing National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect public welfare (including crops, forests, ecosystems, and soils) from adverse effects of air pollutants, including tropospheric ozone. The formulation of policies is science-base...

  2. Eliciting the Intension of Drug Value Sets – Principles and Quality Assurance Applications

    PubMed Central

    Bahr, Nathan J.; Nelson, Scott D.; Winnenburg, Rainer; Bodenreider, Olivier

    2018-01-01

    Value sets (VSs) used in electronic clinical quality measures are lists of codes from standard terminologies (“extensional” VSs), whose purpose (“intension”) is not always explicitly stated. We elicited the intension for the 09/01/2014 release of extensional medication value sets by comparison to drug classes from the October 2014 release of RxClass. Value sets matched drug classes if they shared common ingredients, as evidenced by Jaccard similarity score. We elicited the intension of 80 extensional value sets. The average Jaccard similarity was 0.65 for single classes and 0.80 for combination classes, with 34% (27/80) of the value sets having high similarity scores. Manual review by a pharmacist indicated 51% (41/80) of the drug classes selected as the best mapping for a value set matched the intension reflected in that value set name. This approach has the potential for facilitating the development and maintenance of medication value sets. PMID:29295218

  3. 40 CFR 131.22 - EPA promulgation of water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 21 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false EPA promulgation of water quality standards. 131.22 Section 131.22 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS WATER QUALITY STANDARDS Procedures for Review and Revision of Water Quality Standards § 131.22 EPA promulgation of water quality...

  4. 40 CFR 131.22 - EPA promulgation of water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false EPA promulgation of water quality standards. 131.22 Section 131.22 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS WATER QUALITY STANDARDS Procedures for Review and Revision of Water Quality Standards § 131.22 EPA promulgation of water quality...

  5. A method of setting limits for the purpose of quality assurance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanghangthum, Taweap; Suriyapee, Sivalee; Kim, Gwe-Ya; Pawlicki, Todd

    2013-10-01

    The result from any assurance measurement needs to be checked against some limits for acceptability. There are two types of limits; those that define clinical acceptability (action limits) and those that are meant to serve as a warning that the measurement is close to the action limits (tolerance limits). Currently, there is no standard procedure to set these limits. In this work, we propose an operational procedure to set tolerance limits and action limits. The approach to establish the limits is based on techniques of quality engineering using control charts and a process capability index. The method is different for tolerance limits and action limits with action limits being categorized into those that are specified and unspecified. The procedure is to first ensure process control using the I-MR control charts. Then, the tolerance limits are set equal to the control chart limits on the I chart. Action limits are determined using the Cpm process capability index with the requirements that the process must be in-control. The limits from the proposed procedure are compared to an existing or conventional method. Four examples are investigated: two of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) point dose quality assurance (QA) and two of routine linear accelerator output QA. The tolerance limits range from about 6% larger to 9% smaller than conventional action limits for VMAT QA cases. For the linac output QA, tolerance limits are about 60% smaller than conventional action limits. The operational procedure describe in this work is based on established quality management tools and will provide a systematic guide to set up tolerance and action limits for different equipment and processes.

  6. CHALLENGES IN SETTING UP QUALITY CONTROL IN DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY FACILITIES IN NIGERIA.

    PubMed

    Inyang, S O; Egbe, N O; Ekpo, E

    2015-01-01

    The Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) was established to regulate and control the use of radioactive and radiation emitting sources in Nigeria. Quality control (QC) on diagnostic radiology equipment form part of the fundamental requirements for the authorization of diagnostic radiology facilities in the Country. Some quality control tests (output, exposure linearity and reproducibility) were measured on the x-ray machines in the facilities that took part in the study. Questionnaire was developed to evaluate the frequencies at which QC tests were conducted in the facilities and the challenges in setting up QC. Results show great variation in the values of the QC parameters measured. Inadequate cooperation by facilities management, lack of QC equipment and insufficient staff form the major challenges in setting up QC in the facilities under study. The responses on the frequencies at which QC tests should be conducted did not correspond to the recommended standards; indicating that personnel were not familiar with QC implementation and may require further training on QC.

  7. 78 FR 37505 - International Standard-Setting Activities

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-21

    ... Code of Practice for Weed Control to Prevent and Reduce Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid Contamination in Food... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food Safety and Inspection Service [Docket No. FSIS-2013-0002] International Standard-Setting Activities AGENCY: Office of Food Safety, USDA. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This...

  8. 75 FR 31749 - International Standard-Setting Activities

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-04

    ... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food Safety and Inspection Service [Docket No. FSIS-2009-0033] International Standard-Setting Activities AGENCY: Office of Food Safety, USDA. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This..., and hand- or courier-delivered items: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food...

  9. Action for Environmental Quality. Standards and Enforcement for Air and Water Pollution Control.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for setting and enforcing environmental quality standards for the nation. With the Clean Air Act of 1970 (P.L. 91-604) and the Water Pollution Control Act of 1972 (P.L. 92-500), the first truly nationwide control programs were established. This booklet is designed to inform the public…

  10. Chiropractic quality assurance: standards and guidelines

    PubMed Central

    Gatterman, Meridel I; Dobson, Thomas P; LeFevbre, Ron

    2001-01-01

    Chiropractic quality assurance involves development of both clinical guidelines and standards. Confusion generated by poor differentiation of guidelines from standards contributes to mistrust of the guideline development process. Guidelines are considered to be recommendations that allow for flexibility and individual patient differences. Standards are more binding and require a high level of supporting evidence. While guidelines serve as educational tools to improve the quality of practice, standards that outline minimum competency are used more as administrative tools on which to base policy. Barriers to development of clinical guidelines and standards include fear that they will create prescriptive “cookbook” practice, and the distrust that guidelines are developed primarily for cost containment. Clinicians also criticize guidelines developed by academics that don't relate to practice, and those based on evidence that lacks clinical relevance. Conflicting guidelines perceived to be based on strong bias or conflict of interest are also suspect. To reduce barriers to acceptance and implementation, guidelines should be inclusive, patient-centered, and based on a variety of evidence and clinical experience.

  11. Quality management and accreditation in a mixed research and clinical hair testing analytical laboratory setting-a review.

    PubMed

    Fulga, Netta

    2013-06-01

    Quality management and accreditation in the analytical laboratory setting are developing rapidly and becoming the standard worldwide. Quality management refers to all the activities used by organizations to ensure product or service consistency. Accreditation is a formal recognition by an authoritative regulatory body that a laboratory is competent to perform examinations and report results. The Motherisk Drug Testing Laboratory is licensed to operate at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario. The laboratory performs toxicology tests of hair and meconium samples for research and clinical purposes. Most of the samples are involved in a chain of custody cases. Establishing a quality management system and achieving accreditation became mandatory by legislation for all Ontario clinical laboratories since 2003. The Ontario Laboratory Accreditation program is based on International Organization for Standardization 15189-Medical laboratories-Particular requirements for quality and competence, an international standard that has been adopted as a national standard in Canada. The implementation of a quality management system involves management commitment, planning and staff education, documentation of the system, validation of processes, and assessment against the requirements. The maintenance of a quality management system requires control and monitoring of the entire laboratory path of workflow. The process of transformation of a research/clinical laboratory into an accredited laboratory, and the benefits of maintaining an effective quality management system, are presented in this article.

  12. 78 FR 30770 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Illinois; Air Quality Standards...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-23

    ... Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Illinois; Air Quality Standards Revision AGENCY... Illinois state implementation plan (SIP) to reflect current National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS... Implementation Plan at 35 Illinois Administrative Code part 243, which updates National Ambient Air Quality...

  13. Standardization and quality management in next-generation sequencing.

    PubMed

    Endrullat, Christoph; Glökler, Jörn; Franke, Philipp; Frohme, Marcus

    2016-09-01

    DNA sequencing continues to evolve quickly even after > 30 years. Many new platforms suddenly appeared and former established systems have vanished in almost the same manner. Since establishment of next-generation sequencing devices, this progress gains momentum due to the continually growing demand for higher throughput, lower costs and better quality of data. In consequence of this rapid development, standardized procedures and data formats as well as comprehensive quality management considerations are still scarce. Here, we listed and summarized current standardization efforts and quality management initiatives from companies, organizations and societies in form of published studies and ongoing projects. These comprise on the one hand quality documentation issues like technical notes, accreditation checklists and guidelines for validation of sequencing workflows. On the other hand, general standard proposals and quality metrics are developed and applied to the sequencing workflow steps with the main focus on upstream processes. Finally, certain standard developments for downstream pipeline data handling, processing and storage are discussed in brief. These standardization approaches represent a first basis for continuing work in order to prospectively implement next-generation sequencing in important areas such as clinical diagnostics, where reliable results and fast processing is crucial. Additionally, these efforts will exert a decisive influence on traceability and reproducibility of sequence data.

  14. Methods to characterize environmental settings of stream and groundwater sampling sites for National Water-Quality Assessment

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Nakagaki, Naomi; Hitt, Kerie J.; Price, Curtis V.; Falcone, James A.

    2012-01-01

    Characterization of natural and anthropogenic features that define the environmental settings of sampling sites for streams and groundwater, including drainage basins and groundwater study areas, is an essential component of water-quality and ecological investigations being conducted as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment program. Quantitative characterization of environmental settings, combined with physical, chemical, and biological data collected at sampling sites, contributes to understanding the status of, and influences on, water-quality and ecological conditions. To support studies for the National Water-Quality Assessment program, a geographic information system (GIS) was used to develop a standard set of methods to consistently characterize the sites, drainage basins, and groundwater study areas across the nation. This report describes three methods used for characterization-simple overlay, area-weighted areal interpolation, and land-cover-weighted areal interpolation-and their appropriate applications to geographic analyses that have different objectives and data constraints. In addition, this document records the GIS thematic datasets that are used for the Program's national design and data analyses.

  15. A Preliminary Investigation of the Direct Standard Setting Method.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, J. Patrick; And Others

    Three studies assessed the psychometric characteristics of the Direct Standard Setting Method (DSSM). The Angoff technique was also used in each study. The DSSM requires judges to consider an examination 10 items at a time and determine the minimum items in that set a candidate should answer correctly to receive the credential. Nine judges set a…

  16. International Metadata Standards and Enterprise Data Quality Metadata Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Habermann, T.

    2016-12-01

    Well-documented data quality is critical in situations where scientists and decision-makers need to combine multiple datasets from different disciplines and collection systems to address scientific questions or difficult decisions. Standardized data quality metadata could be very helpful in these situations. Many efforts at developing data quality standards falter because of the diversity of approaches to measuring and reporting data quality. The "one size fits all" paradigm does not generally work well in this situation. The ISO data quality standard (ISO 19157) takes a different approach with the goal of systematically describing how data quality is measured rather than how it should be measured. It introduces the idea of standard data quality measures that can be well documented in a measure repository and used for consistently describing how data quality is measured across an enterprise. The standard includes recommendations for properties of these measures that include unique identifiers, references, illustrations and examples. Metadata records can reference these measures using the unique identifier and reuse them along with details (and references) that describe how the measure was applied to a particular dataset. A second important feature of ISO 19157 is the inclusion of citations to existing papers or reports that describe quality of a dataset. This capability allows users to find this information in a single location, i.e. the dataset metadata, rather than searching the web or other catalogs. I will describe these and other capabilities of ISO 19157 with examples of how they are being used to describe data quality across the NASA EOS Enterprise and also compare these approaches with other standards.

  17. 42 CFR 493.1299 - Standard: Postanalytic systems quality assessment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard: Postanalytic systems quality assessment... Nonwaived Testing Postanalytic Systems § 493.1299 Standard: Postanalytic systems quality assessment. (a) The....1291. (b) The postanalytic systems quality assessment must include a review of the effectiveness of...

  18. Halogenated peptides as internal standards (H-PINS): introduction of an MS-based internal standard set for liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Mirzaei, Hamid; Brusniak, Mi-Youn; Mueller, Lukas N; Letarte, Simon; Watts, Julian D; Aebersold, Ruedi

    2009-08-01

    As the application for quantitative proteomics in the life sciences has grown in recent years, so has the need for more robust and generally applicable methods for quality control and calibration. The reliability of quantitative proteomics is tightly linked to the reproducibility and stability of the analytical platforms, which are typically multicomponent (e.g. sample preparation, multistep separations, and mass spectrometry) with individual components contributing unequally to the overall system reproducibility. Variations in quantitative accuracy are thus inevitable, and quality control and calibration become essential for the assessment of the quality of the analyses themselves. Toward this end, the use of internal standards cannot only assist in the detection and removal of outlier data acquired by an irreproducible system (quality control) but can also be used for detection of changes in instruments for their subsequent performance and calibration. Here we introduce a set of halogenated peptides as internal standards. The peptides are custom designed to have properties suitable for various quality control assessments, data calibration, and normalization processes. The unique isotope distribution of halogenated peptides makes their mass spectral detection easy and unambiguous when spiked into complex peptide mixtures. In addition, they were designed to elute sequentially over an entire aqueous to organic LC gradient and to have m/z values within the commonly scanned mass range (300-1800 Da). In a series of experiments in which these peptides were spiked into an enriched N-glycosite peptide fraction (i.e. from formerly N-glycosylated intact proteins in their deglycosylated form) isolated from human plasma, we show the utility and performance of these halogenated peptides for sample preparation and LC injection quality control as well as for retention time and mass calibration. Further use of the peptides for signal intensity normalization and retention time

  19. Technology Leadership and Its Relationship with School-Malaysia Standard of Education Quality (School-MSEQ)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hamzah, Mohd Izham Mohd; Juraime, Faridah; Hamid, Aida Hanim A.; Nordin, Norazah; Attan, Noraini

    2014-01-01

    This study examined the level of technology leadership practice among administrators in High Performing Schools (HPS) and its relationship with School-Malaysia Standard of Education Quality (School-MSEQ). A set of questionnaires was administered to 96 administrators in 12 HPS of secondary schools category. The data were analysed and interpreted…

  20. International Metadata Standards and Enterprise Data Quality Metadata Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Habermann, Ted

    2016-01-01

    Well-documented data quality is critical in situations where scientists and decision-makers need to combine multiple datasets from different disciplines and collection systems to address scientific questions or difficult decisions. Standardized data quality metadata could be very helpful in these situations. Many efforts at developing data quality standards falter because of the diversity of approaches to measuring and reporting data quality. The one size fits all paradigm does not generally work well in this situation. I will describe these and other capabilities of ISO 19157 with examples of how they are being used to describe data quality across the NASA EOS Enterprise and also compare these approaches with other standards.

  1. 42 CFR 493.1289 - Standard: Analytic systems quality assessment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard: Analytic systems quality assessment. 493... Nonwaived Testing Analytic Systems § 493.1289 Standard: Analytic systems quality assessment. (a) The... through 493.1283. (b) The analytic systems quality assessment must include a review of the effectiveness...

  2. 42 CFR 493.1249 - Standard: Preanalytic systems quality assessment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard: Preanalytic systems quality assessment... Nonwaived Testing Preanalytic Systems § 493.1249 Standard: Preanalytic systems quality assessment. (a) The....1241 through 493.1242. (b) The preanalytic systems quality assessment must include a review of the...

  3. Standards and guidelines for observational studies: quality is in the eye of the beholder.

    PubMed

    Morton, Sally C; Costlow, Monica R; Graff, Jennifer S; Dubois, Robert W

    2016-03-01

    Patient care decisions demand high-quality research. To assist those decisions, numerous observational studies are being performed. Are the standards and guidelines to assess observational studies consistent and actionable? What policy considerations should be considered to ensure decision makers can determine if an observational study is of high-quality and valid to inform treatment decisions? Based on a literature review and input from six experts, we compared and contrasted nine standards/guidelines using 23 methodological elements involved in observational studies (e.g., study protocol, data analysis, and so forth). Fourteen elements (61%) were addressed by at least seven standards/guidelines; 12 of these elements disagreed in the approach. Nine elements (39%) were addressed by six or fewer standards/guidelines. Ten elements (43%) were not actionable in at least one standard/guideline that addressed the element. The lack of observational study standard/guideline agreement may contribute to variation in study conduct; disparities in what is considered credible research; and ultimately, what evidence is adopted. A common set of agreed on standards/guidelines for conducting observational studies will benefit funders, researchers, journal editors, and decision makers. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Setting the standard, implementation and auditing within haemodialysis.

    PubMed

    Jones, J

    1997-01-01

    With an ever increasing awareness of the need to deliver a quality of care that is measurable in Nursing, the concept of Standards provides an ideal tool (1). Standards operate outside the boundaries of policies and procedures to provide an audit tool of authenticity and flexibility. Within our five Renal Units, while we felt confident that we were delivering an excellent standard of care to our patients and continually trying to improve upon it, what we really needed was a method of measuring this current level of care and highlighting key areas where we could offer improvement.

  5. Air Quality uFIND: User-oriented Tool Set for Air Quality Data Discovery and Access

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoijarvi, K.; Robinson, E. M.; Husar, R. B.; Falke, S. R.; Schultz, M. G.; Keating, T. J.

    2012-12-01

    Historically, there have been major impediments to seamless and effective data usage encountered by both data providers and users. Over the last five years, the international Air Quality (AQ) Community has worked through forums such as the Group on Earth Observations AQ Community of Practice, the ESIP AQ Working Group, and the Task Force on Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution to converge on data format standards (e.g., netCDF), data access standards (e.g., Open Geospatial Consortium Web Coverage Services), metadata standards (e.g., ISO 19115), as well as other conventions (e.g., CF Naming Convention) in order to build an Air Quality Data Network. The centerpiece of the AQ Data Network is the web service-based tool set: user-oriented Filtering and Identification of Networked Data. The purpose of uFIND is to provide rich and powerful facilities for the user to: a) discover and choose a desired dataset by navigation through the multi-dimensional metadata space using faceted search, b) seamlessly access and browse datasets, and c) use uFINDs facilities as a web service for mashups with other AQ applications and portals. In a user-centric information system such as uFIND, the user experience is improved by metadata that includes the general fields for discovery as well as community-specific metadata to narrow the search beyond space, time and generic keyword searches. However, even with the community-specific additions, the ISO 19115 records were formed in compliance with the standard, so that other standards-based search interface could leverage this additional information. To identify the fields necessary for metadata discovery we started with the ISO 19115 Core Metadata fields and fields that were needed for a Catalog Service for the Web (CSW) Record. This fulfilled two goals - one to create valid ISO 19115 records and the other to be able to retrieve the records through a Catalog Service for the Web query. Beyond the required set of fields, the AQ Community added

  6. 40 CFR 35.2111 - Revised water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Revised water quality standards. 35... ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Grants for Construction of Treatment Works § 35.2111 Revised water quality standards. After December 29, 1984, no grant can be awarded for projects that discharge into...

  7. The case for regime-based water quality standards

    Treesearch

    G.C. Poole; J.B. Dunham; D.M. Keenan; S.T. Sauter; D.A. McCullough; C. Mebane; J.C. Lockwood; D.A. Essig; M.P. Hicks; D.J. Sturdevant; E.J. Materna; S.A. Spalding; J. Risley; M. Deppman

    2004-01-01

    Conventional water quality standards have been successful in reducing the concentration of toxic substances in US waters. However, conventional standards are based on simple thresholds and are therefore poorly structured to address human-caused imbalances in dynamic, natural water quality parameters, such as nutrients, sediment, and temperature. A more applicable type...

  8. 40 CFR 35.2111 - Revised water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Revised water quality standards. 35... ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Grants for Construction of Treatment Works § 35.2111 Revised water... stream segments which have not, at least once since December 29, 1981, had their water quality standards...

  9. 40 CFR 35.2111 - Revised water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Revised water quality standards. 35... ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Grants for Construction of Treatment Works § 35.2111 Revised water... stream segments which have not, at least once since December 29, 1981, had their water quality standards...

  10. 40 CFR 35.2111 - Revised water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Revised water quality standards. 35... ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Grants for Construction of Treatment Works § 35.2111 Revised water... stream segments which have not, at least once since December 29, 1981, had their water quality standards...

  11. Setting standards at the forefront of delivery system reform: aligning care coordination quality measures for multiple chronic conditions.

    PubMed

    DuGoff, Eva H; Dy, Sydney; Giovannetti, Erin R; Leff, Bruce; Boyd, Cynthia M

    2013-01-01

    The primary study objective is to assess how three major health reform care coordination initiatives (Accountable Care Organizations, Independence at Home, and Community-Based Care Transitions) measure concepts critical to care coordination for people with multiple chronic conditions. We find that there are major differences in quality measurement across these three large and politically important programs. Quality measures currently used or proposed for these new health reform-related programs addressing care coordination primarily capture continuity of care. Other key areas of care coordination, such as care transitions, patient-centeredness, and cross-cutting care across multiple conditions are infrequently addressed. The lack of a comprehensive and consistent measure set for care coordination will pose challenges for healthcare providers and policy makers who seek, respectively, to provide and reward well-coordinated care. In addition, this heterogeneity in measuring care coordination quality will generate new information, but will inhibit comparisons between these care coordination programs. © 2013 National Association for Healthcare Quality.

  12. Application of fuzzy set theory for integral assessment of agricultural products quality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Derkanosova, N. M.; Ponomareva, I. N.; Shurshikova, G. V.; Vasilenko, O. A.

    2018-05-01

    The methodology of integrated assessment of quality and safety of agricultural products, approbated by the example of indicators of wheat grain in relation to the provision of consumer properties of bakery products, was developed. Determination of the level of quality of the raw ingredients will allow direct using of agricultural raw materials for food production, taking into account ongoing technology, types of products, and, respectively, rational use of resource potential of the agricultural sector. The mathematical tool of the proposed method is a fuzzy set theory. The fuzzy classifier to evaluate the properties of the grain is formed. The set of six indicators normalized by the national standard is determined; values are ordered and represented by linguistic variables with a trapeziform membership function; the rules for calculation of membership functions are presented. Specific criteria values for individual indicators in shaping the quality of the finished products are considered. For one of the samples of wheat grain values of membership; functions of the linguistic variable "level" for all indicators and the linguistic variable "level of quality" were calculated. It is established that the studied sample of grain obtains the 2 (average) level of quality. Accordingly, it can be recommended for the production of bakery products with higher requirements for the structural-mechanical properties bakery and puff pastry products hearth bread and flour confectionery products of the group of hard dough cookies and crackers

  13. Quality evaluation of value sets from cancer study common data elements using the UMLS semantic groups

    PubMed Central

    Solbrig, Harold R; Chute, Christopher G

    2012-01-01

    Objective The objective of this study is to develop an approach to evaluate the quality of terminological annotations on the value set (ie, enumerated value domain) components of the common data elements (CDEs) in the context of clinical research using both unified medical language system (UMLS) semantic types and groups. Materials and methods The CDEs of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Data Standards Repository, the NCI Thesaurus (NCIt) concepts and the UMLS semantic network were integrated using a semantic web-based framework for a SPARQL-enabled evaluation. First, the set of CDE-permissible values with corresponding meanings in external controlled terminologies were isolated. The corresponding value meanings were then evaluated against their NCI- or UMLS-generated semantic network mapping to determine whether all of the meanings fell within the same semantic group. Results Of the enumerated CDEs in the Cancer Data Standards Repository, 3093 (26.2%) had elements drawn from more than one UMLS semantic group. A random sample (n=100) of this set of elements indicated that 17% of them were likely to have been misclassified. Discussion The use of existing semantic web tools can support a high-throughput mechanism for evaluating the quality of large CDE collections. This study demonstrates that the involvement of multiple semantic groups in an enumerated value domain of a CDE is an effective anchor to trigger an auditing point for quality evaluation activities. Conclusion This approach produces a useful quality assurance mechanism for a clinical study CDE repository. PMID:22511016

  14. 40 CFR 35.2111 - Revised water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Revised water quality standards. 35.2111 Section 35.2111 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Grants for Construction of Treatment Works § 35.2111 Revised water quality standards. After December 29, 1984,...

  15. A Comparative Study of Standard-Setting Methods.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Livingston, Samuel A.; Zieky, Michael J.

    1989-01-01

    The borderline group standard-setting method (BGSM), Nedelsky method (NM), and Angoff method (AM) were compared, using reading scores for 1,948 and mathematics scores for 2,191 sixth through ninth graders. The NM and AM were inconsistent with the BGSM. Passing scores were higher where students were more able. (SLD)

  16. Analytical quality goals derived from the total deviation from patients' homeostatic set points, with a margin for analytical errors.

    PubMed

    Bolann, B J; Asberg, A

    2004-01-01

    The deviation of test results from patients' homeostatic set points in steady-state conditions may complicate interpretation of the results and the comparison of results with clinical decision limits. In this study the total deviation from the homeostatic set point is defined as the maximum absolute deviation for 95% of measurements, and we present analytical quality requirements that prevent analytical error from increasing this deviation to more than about 12% above the value caused by biology alone. These quality requirements are: 1) The stable systematic error should be approximately 0, and 2) a systematic error that will be detected by the control program with 90% probability, should not be larger than half the value of the combined analytical and intra-individual standard deviation. As a result, when the most common control rules are used, the analytical standard deviation may be up to 0.15 times the intra-individual standard deviation. Analytical improvements beyond these requirements have little impact on the interpretability of measurement results.

  17. British Thoracic Society quality standards for home oxygen use in adults

    PubMed Central

    Suntharalingam, Jay; Wilkinson, Tom; Annandale, Joseph; Davey, Claire; Fielding, Rhea; Freeman, Daryl; Gibbons, Michael; Hardinge, Maxine; Hippolyte, Sabrine; Knowles, Vikki; Lee, Cassandra; MacNee, William; Pollington, Jacqueline; Vora, Vandana; Watts, Trefor; Wijesinghe, Meme

    2017-01-01

    Introduction The purpose of the quality standards document is to provide healthcare professionals, commissioners, service providers and patients with a guide to standards of care that should be met for home oxygen provision in the UK, together with measurable markers of good practice. Quality statements are based on the British Thoracic Society (BTS) Guideline for Home Oxygen Use in Adults. Methods Development of BTS Quality Standards follows the BTS process of quality standard production based on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence process manual for the development of quality standards. Results 10 quality statements have been developed, each describing a key marker of high-quality, cost-effective care for home oxygen use, and each statement is supported by quality measures that aim to improve the structure, process and outcomes of healthcare. Discussion BTS Quality Standards for home oxygen use in adults form a key part of the range of supporting materials that the society produces to assist in the dissemination and implementation of a guideline’s recommendations. PMID:29018527

  18. 78 FR 30829 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Illinois; Air Quality Standards...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-23

    ... Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Illinois; Air Quality Standards Revision AGENCY... the Illinois State Implementation Plan (SIP) to reflect current national ambient air quality standards...) 692-2450. 4. Mail: Pamela Blakley, Chief, Control Strategies Section, Air Programs Branch (AR-18J), U...

  19. Condensed Mastery Profile Method for Setting Standards for Diagnostic Assessment Systems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clark, A. K.; Nash, B.; Karvonen, M.; Kingston, N.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop a standard-setting method appropriate for use with a diagnostic assessment that produces profiles of student mastery rather than a single raw or scale score value. The condensed mastery profile method draws from established holistic standard-setting methods to use rounds of range finding and pinpointing to…

  20. 40 CFR 131.20 - State review and revision of water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... quality standards. 131.20 Section 131.20 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS WATER QUALITY STANDARDS Procedures for Review and Revision of Water Quality Standards § 131.20 State review and revision of water quality standards. (a) State review. The State shall...

  1. 40 CFR 131.20 - State review and revision of water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... quality standards. 131.20 Section 131.20 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS WATER QUALITY STANDARDS Procedures for Review and Revision of Water Quality Standards § 131.20 State review and revision of water quality standards. (a) State review. The State shall...

  2. 40 CFR 131.20 - State review and revision of water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... quality standards. 131.20 Section 131.20 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS WATER QUALITY STANDARDS Procedures for Review and Revision of Water Quality Standards § 131.20 State review and revision of water quality standards. (a) State review. The State shall...

  3. Standardizing Quality Assessment of Fused Remotely Sensed Images

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pohl, C.; Moellmann, J.; Fries, K.

    2017-09-01

    The multitude of available operational remote sensing satellites led to the development of many image fusion techniques to provide high spatial, spectral and temporal resolution images. The comparison of different techniques is necessary to obtain an optimized image for the different applications of remote sensing. There are two approaches in assessing image quality: 1. Quantitatively by visual interpretation and 2. Quantitatively using image quality indices. However an objective comparison is difficult due to the fact that a visual assessment is always subject and a quantitative assessment is done by different criteria. Depending on the criteria and indices the result varies. Therefore it is necessary to standardize both processes (qualitative and quantitative assessment) in order to allow an objective image fusion quality evaluation. Various studies have been conducted at the University of Osnabrueck (UOS) to establish a standardized process to objectively compare fused image quality. First established image fusion quality assessment protocols, i.e. Quality with No Reference (QNR) and Khan's protocol, were compared on varies fusion experiments. Second the process of visual quality assessment was structured and standardized with the aim to provide an evaluation protocol. This manuscript reports on the results of the comparison and provides recommendations for future research.

  4. 40 CFR 131.21 - EPA review and approval of water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS WATER QUALITY STANDARDS Procedures for Review and Revision of Water Quality Standards § 131.21 EPA review and approval of water quality standards. (a) After the State submits its... analysis. (b) The Regional Administrator's approval or disapproval of a State water quality standard shall...

  5. User-generated quality standards for youth mental health in primary care: a participatory research design using mixed methods

    PubMed Central

    Graham, Tanya; Rose, Diana; Murray, Joanna; Ashworth, Mark; Tylee, André

    2014-01-01

    Objectives To develop user-generated quality standards for young people with mental health problems in primary care using a participatory research model. Methods 50 young people aged 16–25 from community settings and primary care participated in focus groups and interviews about their views and experiences of seeking help for mental health problems in primary care, cofacilitated by young service users and repeated to ensure respondent validation. A second group of young people also aged 16–25 who had sought help for any mental health problem from primary care or secondary care within the last 5 years were trained as focus groups cofacilitators (n=12) developed the quality standards from the qualitative data and participated in four nominal groups (n=28). Results 46 quality standards were developed and ranked by young service users. Agreement was defined as 100% of scores within a two-point region. Group consensus existed for 16 quality standards representing the following aspects of primary care: better advertising and information (three); improved competence through mental health training and skill mix within the practice (two); alternatives to medication (three); improved referral protocol (three); and specific questions and reassurances (five). Alternatives to medication and specific questions and reassurances are aspects of quality which have not been previously reported. Conclusions We have demonstrated the feasibility of using participatory research methods in order to develop user-generated quality standards. The development of patient-generated quality standards may offer a more formal method of incorporating the views of service users into quality improvement initiatives. This method can be adapted for generating quality standards applicable to other patient groups. PMID:24920648

  6. ISO 9000 quality standards: a model for blood banking?

    PubMed

    Nevalainen, D E; Lloyd, H L

    1995-06-01

    The recent American Association of Blood Banks publications Quality Program and Quality Systems in the Blood Bank and Laboratory Environment, the FDA's draft guidelines, and recent changes in the GMP regulations all discuss the benefits of implementing quality systems in blood center and/or manufacturing operations. While the medical device GMPs in the United States have been rewritten to accommodate a quality system approach similar to ISO 9000, the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research of the FDA is also beginning to make moves toward adopting "quality systems audits" as an inspection process rather than using the historical approach of record reviews. The approach is one of prevention of errors rather than detection after the fact (Tourault MA, oral communication, November 1994). The ISO 9000 series of standards is a quality system that has worldwide scope and can be applied in any industry or service. The use of such international standards in blood banking should raise the level of quality within an organization, among organizations on a regional level, within a country, and among nations on a worldwide basis. Whether an organization wishes to become registered to a voluntary standard or not, the use of such standards to become ISO 9000-compliant would be a move in the right direction and would be a positive sign to the regulatory authorities and the public that blood banking is making a visible effort to implement world-class quality systems in its operations. Implementation of quality system standards such as the ISO 9000 series will provide an organized approach for blood banks and blood bank testing operations. With the continued trend toward consolidation and mergers, resulting in larger operational units with more complexity, quality systems will become even more important as the industry moves into the future.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  7. State Standard-Setting Processes in Brief. State Academic Standards: Standard-Setting Processes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomsen, Jennifer

    2014-01-01

    Concerns about academic standards, whether created by states from scratch or adopted by states under the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) banner, have drawn widespread media attention and are at the top of many state policymakers' priority lists. Recently, a number of legislatures have required additional steps, such as waiting periods for…

  8. Measuring Data Quality Through a Source Data Verification Audit in a Clinical Research Setting.

    PubMed

    Houston, Lauren; Probst, Yasmine; Humphries, Allison

    2015-01-01

    Health data has long been scrutinised in relation to data quality and integrity problems. Currently, no internationally accepted or "gold standard" method exists measuring data quality and error rates within datasets. We conducted a source data verification (SDV) audit on a prospective clinical trial dataset. An audit plan was applied to conduct 100% manual verification checks on a 10% random sample of participant files. A quality assurance rule was developed, whereby if >5% of data variables were incorrect a second 10% random sample would be extracted from the trial data set. Error was coded: correct, incorrect (valid or invalid), not recorded or not entered. Audit-1 had a total error of 33% and audit-2 36%. The physiological section was the only audit section to have <5% error. Data not recorded to case report forms had the greatest impact on error calculations. A significant association (p=0.00) was found between audit-1 and audit-2 and whether or not data was deemed correct or incorrect. Our study developed a straightforward method to perform a SDV audit. An audit rule was identified and error coding was implemented. Findings demonstrate that monitoring data quality by a SDV audit can identify data quality and integrity issues within clinical research settings allowing quality improvement to be made. The authors suggest this approach be implemented for future research.

  9. Total quality management in the hospital setting.

    PubMed

    Ernst, D F

    1994-01-01

    With the increasing demands on hospitals for improved quality and lower costs, hospitals have been forced to reevaluate their manner of operation and quality assurance (QA) programs. Hospitals have been faced with customer dissatisfaction with services, escalating costs, intense competition, and reduced reimbursement for services. As a result, many hospitals have incorporated total quality management (TQM), also known as continuous quality improvement (CQI) and quality improvement (QI), to improve quality care and decrease costs. This article examines the concept of TQM, its rationale, and how it can be implemented in a hospital. A comparison of TQM and QA is made. Examples of hospital implementation of TQM and problems and issues associated with TQM in the hospital setting are explored.

  10. Using standard treatment protocols to manage costs and quality of hospital services.

    PubMed

    Meyer, J W; Feingold, M G

    1993-06-01

    The current health care environment has made it critically important that hospital costs and quality be managed in an integrated fashion. Promised health care reforms are expected to make cost reduction and quality enhancement only more important. Traditional methods of hospital cost and quality control have largely been replaced by such approaches as practice parameters, outcomes measurement, clinical indicators, clinical paths, benchmarking, patient-centered care, and a focus on patient selection criteria. This Special Report describes an integrated process for strategically managing costs and quality simultaneously, incorporating key elements of many important new quality and cost control tools. By using a multidisciplinary group process to develop standard treatment protocols, hospitals and their medical staffs address the most important services provided within major product lines. Using both clinical and financial data, groups of physicians, nurses, department managers, financial analysts, and administrators redesign key patterns of care within their hospital, incorporating the best practices of their own and other institutions. The outcome of this process is a new, standardized set of clinical guidelines that reduce unnecessary variation in care, eliminate redundant interventions, establish clear lines of communication for all caregivers, and reduce the cost of each stay. The hospital, medical staff, and patients benefit from the improved opportunities for managed care contracting, more efficient hospital systems, consensus-based quality measures, and reductions in the cost of care. STPs offer a workable and worthwhile approach to positioning the hospital of the 1990s for operational efficiency and cost and quality competitiveness.

  11. Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing: New German Standards (din) Setting Quality Requirements of Products Generated by Digital Cameras, Pan-Sharpening and Classification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reulke, R.; Baltrusch, S.; Brunn, A.; Komp, K.; Kresse, W.; von Schönermark, M.; Spreckels, V.

    2012-08-01

    10 years after the first introduction of a digital airborne mapping camera in the ISPRS conference 2000 in Amsterdam, several digital cameras are now available. They are well established in the market and have replaced the analogue camera. A general improvement in image quality accompanied the digital camera development. The signal-to-noise ratio and the dynamic range are significantly better than with the analogue cameras. In addition, digital cameras can be spectrally and radiometrically calibrated. The use of these cameras required a rethinking in many places though. New data products were introduced. In the recent years, some activities took place that should lead to a better understanding of the cameras and the data produced by these cameras. Several projects, like the projects of the German Society for Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Geoinformation (DGPF) or EuroSDR (European Spatial Data Research), were conducted to test and compare the performance of the different cameras. In this paper the current DIN (Deutsches Institut fuer Normung - German Institute for Standardization) standards will be presented. These include the standard for digital cameras, the standard for ortho rectification, the standard for classification, and the standard for pan-sharpening. In addition, standards for the derivation of elevation models, the use of Radar / SAR, and image quality are in preparation. The OGC has indicated its interest in participating that development. The OGC has already published specifications in the field of photogrammetry and remote sensing. One goal of joint future work could be to merge these formerly independent developments and the joint development of a suite of implementation specifications for photogrammetry and remote sensing.

  12. [Schools, office buildings, leisure settings: diversity of indoor air quality issues. Global review on indoor air quality in these settings].

    PubMed

    Mandin, C; Derbez, M; Kirchner, S

    2012-07-01

    This review provides a global overview of indoor air quality issues in schools, office buildings and recreational settings. It presents the most recent scientific publications and the on-going work conducted in France in the frame of the indoor air quality Observatory. Monitoring campaigns on indoor air quality in schools have been carried out in the recent years in Europe. However, few studies have specifically addressed the role of exposure in these buildings on children's health. Indoor air quality in office buildings has been little studied so far. However, some specificities, such as emissions from electronic devices, frequent cleaning, impossibility to open windows in high-rise buildings, for example, should be examined and their role on the health and comfort studied. Finally, even if the time spent in recreational settings is short, the quality of indoor air should also be considered because of specific pollution. This is the case of indoor swimming pools (exposure to chlorination byproducts) and ice-rinks (exposure to exhaust from machines used to smooth the ice). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  13. Comparison of Web-Based and Face-to-Face Standard Setting Using the Angoff Method

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Katz, Irvin R.; Tannenbaum, Richard J.

    2014-01-01

    Web-based standard setting holds promise for reducing the travel and logistical inconveniences of traditional, face-to-face standard setting meetings. However, because there are few published reports of setting standards via remote meeting technology, little is known about the practical potential of the approach, including technical feasibility of…

  14. 40 CFR 131.6 - Minimum requirements for water quality standards submission.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 21 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Minimum requirements for water quality standards submission. 131.6 Section 131.6 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS WATER QUALITY STANDARDS General Provisions § 131.6 Minimum requirements for water quality standards submission. The...

  15. 40 CFR 131.6 - Minimum requirements for water quality standards submission.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Minimum requirements for water quality standards submission. 131.6 Section 131.6 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS WATER QUALITY STANDARDS General Provisions § 131.6 Minimum requirements for water quality standards submission. The...

  16. Quality Control and Peer Review of Data Sets: Mapping Data Archiving Processes to Data Publication Requirements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mayernik, M. S.; Daniels, M.; Eaker, C.; Strand, G.; Williams, S. F.; Worley, S. J.

    2012-12-01

    Data sets exist within scientific research and knowledge networks as both technical and non-technical entities. Establishing the quality of data sets is a multi-faceted task that encompasses many automated and manual processes. Data sets have always been essential for science research, but now need to be more visible as first-class scholarly objects at national, international, and local levels. Many initiatives are establishing procedures to publish and curate data sets, as well as to promote professional rewards for researchers that collect, create, manage, and preserve data sets. Traditionally, research quality has been assessed by peer review of textual publications, e.g. journal articles, conference proceedings, and books. Citation indices then provide standard measures of productivity used to reward individuals for their peer-reviewed work. Whether a similar peer review process is appropriate for assessing and ensuring the quality of data sets remains as an open question. How does the traditional process of peer review apply to data sets? This presentation will describe current work being done at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in the context of the Peer REview for Publication & Accreditation of Research Data in the Earth sciences (PREPARDE) project. PREPARDE is assessing practices and processes for data peer review, with the goal of developing recommendations. NCAR data management teams perform various kinds of quality assessment and review of data sets prior to making them publicly available. The poster will investigate how notions of peer review relate to the types of data review already in place at NCAR. We highlight the data set characteristics and management/archiving processes that challenge the traditional peer review processes by using a number of questions as probes, including: Who is qualified to review data sets? What formal and informal documentation is necessary to allow someone outside of a research team to review a data set

  17. Setting Standards at the Forefront of Delivery System Reform: Aligning Care Coordination Quality Measures for Multiple Chronic Conditions

    PubMed Central

    DuGoff, Eva H.; Dy, Sydney; Giovannetti, Erin R.; Leff, Bruce; Boyd, Cynthia M.

    2015-01-01

    The primary study objective is to assess how three major health reform care coordination initiatives (Accountable Care Organizations, Independence at Home, and Community-based Care Transitions) measure concepts critical to care coordination for people with multiple chronic conditions. We find that there are major differences in quality measurement across these three large and politically important programs. Quality measures currently used or proposed for these new health reform-related programs addressing care coordination primarily capture continuity of care. Other key areas of care coordination, such as care transitions, patient-centeredness, and cross-cutting care across multiple conditions are infrequently addressed. The lack of a comprehensive and consistent measure set for care coordination will pose challenges for health care providers and policymakers who seek, respectively, to provide and reward well-coordinated care. In addition, this heterogeneity in measuring care coordination quality will generate new information, but will inhibit comparisons between these care coordination programs. PMID:24004040

  18. Quality, Organization Design, and Standards.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gardner, James F.

    1992-01-01

    This paper discusses regulations and voluntary standards within the context of organizational mission and management leadership for quality in human services. Regulation is seen as a measure of organizational formalism; formalism is seen as an attribute of the machine organization; and both are contrasted to organic control organization models and…

  19. Global Standards for Enhancing Quality in Online Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Florence; Polly, Drew; Jokiaho, Annika; May, Birgit

    2017-01-01

    The quality of online courses offered has been a topic of discussion in the recent years, and efforts have been taken to establish standards for developing online courses. In this study, the authors review 12 online learning standard documents and examine the standards included in each of these documents. The largest number of standards were in…

  20. A Study on Financial Reporting Standards and Accounting Quality- Evidence from China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liou, Cheng-Hwai

    2013-02-01

    According to institutional theorists, the forms and business models of corporation are mainly shaped by factors such as politics, regulations, social norms and cultures. This paper examines how the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and institutional environment influence the accounting quality, in response to the threat of political extraction in China. We took mainland China as an example instead in our study, following the accounting quality definition of Barth et al. [2], we found that the developments of Chinese government performance audit are conspicuously different by region; to reflect such differences, we elaborated our research by dividing mainland China into 31 categories (provinces or cities). We set 2003-2010 as the time horizon for this study. After testing the Regression model, our empirical research achieved two conclusions: 1) IFRS adoption in China should significantly improve the accounting quality, and 2) IFRS and institutional environment should synthetically influence the quality of accounting as well.

  1. [Study on seed quality test and quality standard of Lonicera macranthoides].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Ying; Xu, Jin; Li, Long-Yun; Cui, Guang-Lin; She, Yue-Hui

    2016-04-01

    Referring to the rules for agricultural seed testing (GB/T 3543-1995) issued by China, the test of sampling, purity, thousand seed weight, moisture, viability, relative conductivity and germination rate had been studied for seed quality test methods of Lonicera macranthoides. The seed quality from 38 different collection areas was measured to establish quality classification standard by K-means clustering. The results showed that at least 7.5 g seeds should be sampled, and passed 20-mesh sieve for purity analysis.The 500-seed method used to measure thousand seed weight. The moisture was determined by crushed seeds dried in high temperature (130±2) ℃ for 3 h.The viability determined by 25 ℃ 0.1% TTC stained 5h in dark. 1.0 g seeds soaked in 50 ml ultra pure water in 25 ℃ for 12 hours to determine the relative conductivity. The seed by 4 ℃stratification for 80 days were cultured on paper at 15 ℃. Quality of the seeds from different areas was divided into three grades. The primary seed quality classification standard was established.The I grade and II grade were recommend use in production. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  2. The Recognizability and Localizability of Auditory Alarms: Setting Global Medical Device Standards.

    PubMed

    Edworthy, Judy; Reid, Scott; McDougall, Siné; Edworthy, Jonathan; Hall, Stephanie; Bennett, Danielle; Khan, James; Pye, Ellen

    2017-11-01

    Objective Four sets of eight audible alarms matching the functions specified in IEC 60601-1-8 were designed using known principles from auditory cognition with the intention that they would be more recognizable and localizable than those currently specified in the standard. Background The audible alarms associated with IEC 60601-1-8, a global medical device standard, are known to be difficult to learn and retain, and there have been many calls to update them. There are known principles of design and cognition that might form the basis of more readily recognizable alarms. There is also scope for improvement in the localizability of the existing alarms. Method Four alternative sets of alarms matched to the functions specified in IEC 60601-1-8 were tested for recognizability and localizability and compared with the alarms currently specified in the standard. Results With a single exception, all prototype sets of alarms outperformed the current IEC set on both recognizability and localizability. Within the prototype sets, auditory icons were the most easily recognized, but the other sets, using word rhythms and simple acoustic metaphors, were also more easily recognized than the current alarms. With the exception of one set, all prototype sets were also easier to localize. Conclusion Known auditory cognition and perception principles were successfully applied to an existing audible alarm problem. Application This work constitutes the first (benchmarking) phase of replacing the alarms currently specified in the standard. The design principles used for each set demonstrate the relative ease with which different alarm types can be recognized and localized.

  3. A new IRT-based standard setting method: application to eCat-listening.

    PubMed

    García, Pablo Eduardo; Abad, Francisco José; Olea, Julio; Aguado, David

    2013-01-01

    Criterion-referenced interpretations of tests are highly necessary, which usually involves the difficult task of establishing cut scores. Contrasting with other Item Response Theory (IRT)-based standard setting methods, a non-judgmental approach is proposed in this study, in which Item Characteristic Curve (ICC) transformations lead to the final cut scores. eCat-Listening, a computerized adaptive test for the evaluation of English Listening, was administered to 1,576 participants, and the proposed standard setting method was applied to classify them into the performance standards of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The results showed a classification closely related to relevant external measures of the English language domain, according to the CEFR. It is concluded that the proposed method is a practical and valid standard setting alternative for IRT-based tests interpretations.

  4. Peer pressure and public reporting within healthcare setting: improving accountability and health care quality in hospitals.

    PubMed

    Specchia, Maria Lucia; Veneziano, Maria Assunta; Cadeddu, Chiara; Ferriero, Anna Maria; Capizzi, Silvio; Ricciardi, Walter

    2012-01-01

    In the last few years, the need of public reporting of health outcomes has acquired a great importance. The public release of performance results could be a tool for improving health care quality and many attempts have been made in order to introduce public reporting programs within the health care context at different levels. It would be necessary to promote the introduction of a standardized set of outcome and performance measures in order to improve quality of health care services and to make health care providers aware of the importance of transparency and accountability.

  5. New Ambient Air Quality Standards - Analytic Challenges and Process Changes: An FHWA Perspective of the Impacts on Small and Medium Sized Areas

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-01-01

    Significant changes to standards and regulations that influence metropolitan transportation planning in many areas were made in 1997. Specifically, the U.S. EPA issued both a new set of National Ambient Air Quality Standards(NAAQS) and major revision...

  6. 21 CFR 10.95 - Participation in outside standard-setting activities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... activity and resulting standards will not be designed for the economic benefit of any company, group, or... invitations will be extended to a representative sampling of the public, including consumer groups, industry... the group or organization responsible for the activity. (c) Standard-setting activities by State and...

  7. 21 CFR 10.95 - Participation in outside standard-setting activities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... activity and resulting standards will not be designed for the economic benefit of any company, group, or... invitations will be extended to a representative sampling of the public, including consumer groups, industry... the group or organization responsible for the activity. (c) Standard-setting activities by State and...

  8. Development of spatial data guidelines and standards: spatial data set documentation to support hydrologic analysis in the U.S. Geological Survey

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fulton, James L.

    1992-01-01

    Spatial data analysis has become an integral component in many surface and sub-surface hydrologic investigations within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Currently, one of the largest costs in applying spatial data analysis is the cost of developing the needed spatial data. Therefore, guidelines and standards are required for the development of spatial data in order to allow for data sharing and reuse; this eliminates costly redevelopment. In order to attain this goal, the USGS is expanding efforts to identify guidelines and standards for the development of spatial data for hydrologic analysis. Because of the variety of project and database needs, the USGS has concentrated on developing standards for documenting spatial sets to aid in the assessment of data set quality and compatibility of different data sets. An interim data set documentation standard (1990) has been developed that provides a mechanism for associating a wide variety of information with a data set, including data about source material, data automation and editing procedures used, projection parameters, data statistics, descriptions of features and feature attributes, information on organizational contacts lists of operations performed on the data, and free-form comments and notes about the data, made at various times in the evolution of the data set. The interim data set documentation standard has been automated using a commercial geographic information system (GIS) and data set documentation software developed by the USGS. Where possible, USGS developed software is used to enter data into the data set documentation file automatically. The GIS software closely associates a data set with its data set documentation file; the documentation file is retained with the data set whenever it is modified, copied, or transferred to another computer system. The Water Resources Division of the USGS is continuing to develop spatial data and data processing standards, with emphasis on standards needed to support

  9. Quality and standardization of telecommunication switching system software

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ranko, K.; Hivensaio, J.; Myllykangas, A.

    1981-12-01

    The purpose of this paper has been to illustrate quality and standardization of switching system software from the authors point of view with the aim of developing standardization in the user environment.

  10. British Thoracic Society Quality Standards for acute non-invasive ventilation in adults

    PubMed Central

    Davies, Michael; Allen, Martin; Bentley, Andrew; Bourke, Stephen C; Creagh-Brown, Ben; D’Oliveiro, Rachel; Glossop, Alastair; Gray, Alasdair; Jacobs, Phillip; Mahadeva, Ravi; Moses, Rachael; Setchfield, Ian

    2018-01-01

    Introduction The purpose of the quality standards document is to provide healthcare professionals, commissioners, service providers and patients with a guide to standards of care that should be met for the provision of acute non-invasive ventilation in adults together with measurable markers of good practice. Methods Development of British Thoracic Society (BTS) Quality Standards follows the BTS process of quality standard production based on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence process manual for the development of quality standards. Results 6 quality statements have been developed, each describing a standard of care for the provision of acute non-invasive ventilation in the UK, together with measurable markers of good practice. Conclusion BTS Quality Standards for acute non-invasive ventilation in adults form a key part of the range of supporting materials that the Society produces to assist in the dissemination and implementation of guideline’s recommendations. PMID:29636979

  11. An improved set of standards for finding cost for cost-effectiveness analysis.

    PubMed

    Barnett, Paul G

    2009-07-01

    Guidelines have helped standardize methods of cost-effectiveness analysis, allowing different interventions to be compared and enhancing the generalizability of study findings. There is agreement that all relevant services be valued from the societal perspective using a long-term time horizon and that more exact methods be used to cost services most affected by the study intervention. Guidelines are not specific enough with respect to costing methods, however. The literature was reviewed to identify the problems associated with the 4 principal methods of cost determination. Microcosting requires direct measurement and is ordinarily reserved to cost novel interventions. Analysts should include nonwage labor cost, person-level and institutional overhead, and the cost of development, set-up activities, supplies, space, and screening. Activity-based cost systems have promise of finding accurate costs of all services provided, but are not widely adopted. Quality must be evaluated and the generalizability of cost estimates to other settings must be considered. Administrative cost estimates, chiefly cost-adjusted charges, are widely used, but the analyst must consider items excluded from the available system. Gross costing methods determine quantity of services used and employ a unit cost. If the intervention will affect the characteristics of a service, the method should not assume that the service is homogeneous. Questions are posed for future reviews of the quality of costing methods. The analyst must avoid inappropriate assumptions, especially those that bias the analysis by exclusion of costs that are affected by the intervention under study.

  12. Using Academy Standards of Excellence in Nutrition and Dietetics for organization self-assessment and quality improvement.

    PubMed

    Price, Joyce A; Kent, Sue; Cox, Sharon A; McCauley, Sharon M; Parekh, Janki; Klein, Catherine J

    2014-08-01

    Standards of Excellence in Nutrition and Dietetics for an Organization is a self-assessment tool to measure and evaluate an organization's program, services, and initiatives that identify and distinguish the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) brand as the professional expert in food and nutrition. The Standards of Excellence will serve as a road map to recognize RDNs as leaders and collaborators. Standards of Excellence criteria apply to all practice segments of nutrition and dietetics: health care, education and research, business and industry, and community nutrition and public health. Given the membership's call to action to be recognized for their professional expertise, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Quality Management Committee developed four Standards of Excellence in Nutrition and Dietetics for Organizations: Quality of Leadership, Quality of Organization, Quality of Practice, and Quality of Outcomes. Within each standard, specific indicators provide strategies for an organization to demonstrate excellence. The Academy will develop a self-evaluation scoring tool to assist the organization in applying and implementing one or more of the strategies in the Standards of Excellence indicators. The organization can use the self-assessment tool to establish itself as a Center of Excellence in Nutrition and Dietetics. The role examples illustrate initiatives RDNs and organizations can take to identify themselves as a Center of Excellence in Nutrition and Dietetics. Achieving the Excellence level is an important collaborative initiative between nutrition and dietetics organizations and the Academy to provide increased autonomy, supportive management, respect within peers and community, opportunities for professional development, support for further education, and compensation for the RDN. For purposes of the Standards, "organization" means workplace or practice setting. Copyright © 2014 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc

  13. Monitoring maternal and newborn health outcomes in Bauchi State, Nigeria: an evaluation of a standards-based quality improvement intervention.

    PubMed

    Kabo, Ibrahim; Otolorin, Emmanuel; Williams, Emma; Orobaton, Nosa; Abdullahi, Hannatu; Sadauki, Habib; Abdulkarim, Masduk; Abegunde, Dele

    2016-10-01

    This study assessed the correlation between compliance with set performance standards and maternal and neonatal deaths in health facilities. Baseline and three annual follow-up assessments were conducted, and each was followed by a quality improvement initiative using the Standards Based Management and Recognition (SBM-R) approach. Twenty-three secondary health facilities of Bauchi state, Nigeria. Health care workers and maternity unit patients. We examined trends in: (i) achievement of SBM-R set performance standards based on annual assessment data, (ii) the use of maternal and newborn health (MNH) service delivery practices based on data from health facility registers and supportive supervision and (iii) MNH outcomes based on routine service statistics. At the baseline assessment in 2010, the facilities achieved 4% of SBM-R standards for MNH, on average, and this increased to 86% in 2013. Over the same time period, the study measured an increase in the administration of uterotonic for active management of third stage of labor from 10% to 95% and a decline in the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage from 3.3% to 1.9%. Institutional neonatal mortality rate decreased from 9 to 2 deaths per 1000 live births, while the institutional maternal mortality ratio dropped from 4113 to 1317 deaths per 100 000 live births. Scaling up SBM-R for quality improvement has the potential to prevent maternal and neonatal deaths in Nigeria and similar settings. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care.

  14. Intrajudge Consistency Using the Angoff Standard-Setting Method.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Plake, Barbara S.; Impara, James C.

    This study investigated the intrajudge consistency of Angoff-based item performance estimates. The examination used was a certification examination in an emergency medicine specialty. Ten expert panelists rated the same 24 items twice during an operational standard setting study. Results indicate that the panelists were highly consistent, in terms…

  15. Review and comparison of quality standards, guidelines and regulations for laboratories.

    PubMed

    Datema, Tjeerd A M; Oskam, Linda; Klatser, Paul R

    2012-01-01

    The variety and number of laboratory quality standards, guidelines and regulations (hereafter: quality documents) makes it difficult to choose the most suitable one for establishing and maintaining a laboratory quality management system. There is a need to compare the characteristics, suitability and applicability of quality documents in view of the increasing efforts to introduce quality management in laboratories, especially in clinical diagnostic laboratories in low income and middle income countries. This may provide valuable insights for policy makers developing national laboratory policies, and for laboratory managers and quality officers in choosing the most appropriate quality document for upgrading their laboratories. We reviewed the history of quality document development and then selected a subset based on their current use. We analysed these documents following a framework for comparison of quality documents that was adapted from the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute guideline GP26 Quality management system model for clinical laboratory services . Differences were identified between national and international, and non-clinical and clinical quality documents. The most salient findings were the absence of provisions on occurrence management and customer service in almost all non-clinical quality documents, a low number of safety requirements aimed at protecting laboratory personnel in international quality documents and no requirements regarding ethical behaviour in almost all quality documents. Each laboratory needs to investigate whether national regulatory standards are present. These are preferred as they most closely suit the needs of laboratories in the country. A laboratory should always use both a standard and a guideline: a standard sums up the requirements to a quality management system, a guideline describes how quality management can be integrated in the laboratory processes.

  16. The Role of Construct Maps in Standard Setting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kane, Michael T.; Tannenbaum, Richard J.

    2013-01-01

    The authors observe in this commentary that construct maps can help standard-setting panels to make realistic and internally consistent recommendations for performance-level descriptions (PLDs) and cut-scores, but the benefits may not be realized if policymakers do not fully understand the rationale for the recommendations provided by the…

  17. Optimization of window settings for standard and advanced virtual monoenergetic imaging in abdominal dual-energy CT angiography.

    PubMed

    Caruso, Damiano; Parinella, Ashley H; Schoepf, U Joseph; Stroebel, Maxwell H; Mangold, Stefanie; Wichmann, Julian L; Varga-Szemes, Akos; Ball, B Devon; De Santis, Domenico; Laghi, Andrea; De Cecco, Carlo N

    2017-03-01

    To determine the optimal window setting for displaying virtual monoenergetic reconstructions of third generation dual-source, dual-energy CT (DECT) angiography of the abdomen. Forty-five patients were evaluated with DECT angiography (90/150 kV, 180/90 ref. mAs). Three datasets were reconstructed: standard linear blending (M_0.6), 70 keV traditional virtual monoenergetic (M70), and 40 keV advanced noise-optimized virtual monoenergetic (M40+). The best window setting (width and level, W/L) was assessed by two blinded observers and was correlated with aortic attenuation to obtain the Optimized W/L setting (O-W/L). Subjective image quality was assessed, and vessel diameters were measured to determine any possible influences between different W/L settings. Repeated measures of variance were used to evaluate comparison of W/L values, image quality, and vessel sizing between M_0.6, M70, and M40+. The Best W/L (B-W/L) for M70 and M40+ was 880/280 and 1410/450, respectively. Results from regression analysis inferred an O-W/L of 850/270 for M70 and 1350/430 for M40+. Significant differences for W and L were found between the Best and the Optimized W/L for M40+, and between M70 and M40+ for both the Best and Optimized W/L. No significant differences for vessel measurements were found using the O-W/L for M40+ compared to the standard M_0.6 (p ≥ 0.16), and significant differences were observed when using the B-W/L with M40+ compared to M_0.6 (p ≤ 0.04). In order to optimize virtual monoenergetic imaging with both traditional M70 and advanced M40+, adjusting the W/L settings is necessary. Our results suggest a W/L setting of 850/270 for M70 and 1350/430 for M40+.

  18. Estimating the Pollution Risk of Cadmium in Soil Using a Composite Soil Environmental Quality Standard

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Biao; Zhao, Yongcun

    2014-01-01

    Estimating standard-exceeding probabilities of toxic metals in soil is crucial for environmental evaluation. Because soil pH and land use types have strong effects on the bioavailability of trace metals in soil, they were taken into account by some environmental protection agencies in making composite soil environmental quality standards (SEQSs) that contain multiple metal thresholds under different pH and land use conditions. This study proposed a method for estimating the standard-exceeding probability map of soil cadmium using a composite SEQS. The spatial variability and uncertainty of soil pH and site-specific land use type were incorporated through simulated realizations by sequential Gaussian simulation. A case study was conducted using a sample data set from a 150 km2 area in Wuhan City and the composite SEQS for cadmium, recently set by the State Environmental Protection Administration of China. The method may be useful for evaluating the pollution risks of trace metals in soil with composite SEQSs. PMID:24672364

  19. Evaluation of the causal framework used for setting national ambient air quality standards.

    PubMed

    Goodman, Julie E; Prueitt, Robyn L; Sax, Sonja N; Bailey, Lisa A; Rhomberg, Lorenz R

    2013-11-01

    Abstract A scientifically sound assessment of the potential hazards associated with a substance requires a systematic, objective and transparent evaluation of the weight of evidence (WoE) for causality of health effects. We critically evaluated the current WoE framework for causal determination used in the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) assessments of the scientific data on air pollutants for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) review process, including its methods for literature searches; study selection, evaluation and integration; and causal judgments. The causal framework used in recent NAAQS evaluations has many valuable features, but it could be more explicit in some cases, and some features are missing that should be included in every WoE evaluation. Because of this, it has not always been applied consistently in evaluations of causality, leading to conclusions that are not always supported by the overall WoE, as we demonstrate using EPA's ozone Integrated Science Assessment as a case study. We propose additions to the NAAQS causal framework based on best practices gleaned from a previously conducted survey of available WoE frameworks. A revision of the NAAQS causal framework so that it more closely aligns with these best practices and the full and consistent application of the framework will improve future assessments of the potential health effects of criteria air pollutants by making the assessments more thorough, transparent, and scientifically sound.

  20. Integrated methodology for standard-setting norms of innovative product in the new competitive environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Polyakova, Marina; Rubin, Gennadiy

    2017-07-01

    basics of the assessment using the differential equation of the relationship between the rate of change of quality assessment and the distance of the estimated parameter value from the best value to the worst one. The obtained mathematical model can be used in the practice of standardization decreasing time of setting standard norms.

  1. Standard Setting As Educational Reform: Trends and Issues Paper No. 8.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sykes, Gary; Plastrik, Peter

    This paper is an inquiry into standard setting as educational reform, stimulated by the emergence of projects and initiatives engaged in during the development of new standards. The publication is organized into five sections. The first section provides a brief discussion of the idea of a standard together with a definition that indicates the…

  2. 77 FR 46298 - Phosphorus Water Quality Standards for Florida Everglades

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-03

    ... Phosphorus Water Quality Standards for Florida Everglades AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA... Quality Standards for Phosphorus in the Everglades Protection Area (Phosphorus Rule) and Florida's Amended... deficiencies in the Phosphorus Rule and EFA. EPA's disapproval, specific directions to the State, and this rule...

  3. Novel Primer Sets for Next Generation Sequencing-Based Analyses of Water Quality

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Elvina; Khurana, Maninder S.; Whiteley, Andrew S.; Monis, Paul T.; Bath, Andrew; Gordon, Cameron; Ryan, Una M.; Paparini, Andrea

    2017-01-01

    Next generation sequencing (NGS) has rapidly become an invaluable tool for the detection, identification and relative quantification of environmental microorganisms. Here, we demonstrate two new 16S rDNA primer sets, which are compatible with NGS approaches and are primarily for use in water quality studies. Compared to 16S rRNA gene based universal primers, in silico and experimental analyses demonstrated that the new primers showed increased specificity for the Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria phyla, allowing increased sensitivity for the detection, identification and relative quantification of toxic bloom-forming microalgae, microbial water quality bioindicators and common pathogens. Significantly, Cyanobacterial and Proteobacterial sequences accounted for ca. 95% of all sequences obtained within NGS runs (when compared to ca. 50% with standard universal NGS primers), providing higher sensitivity and greater phylogenetic resolution of key water quality microbial groups. The increased selectivity of the new primers allow the parallel sequencing of more samples through reduced sequence retrieval levels required to detect target groups, potentially reducing NGS costs by 50% but still guaranteeing optimal coverage and species discrimination. PMID:28118368

  4. Setting the bar: Standards for ecosystem services

    PubMed Central

    Polasky, Stephen; Tallis, Heather; Reyers, Belinda

    2015-01-01

    Progress in ecosystem service science has been rapid, and there is now a healthy appetite among key public and private sector decision makers for this science. However, changing policy and management is a long-term project, one that raises a number of specific practical challenges. One impediment to broad adoption of ecosystem service information is the lack of standards that define terminology, acceptable data and methods, and reporting requirements. Ecosystem service standards should be tailored to specific use contexts, such as national income and wealth accounts, corporate sustainability reporting, land-use planning, and environmental impact assessments. Many standard-setting organizations already exist, and the research community will make the most headway toward rapid uptake of ecosystem service science by working directly with these organizations. Progress has been made in aligning with existing organizations in areas such as product certification and sustainability reporting, but a major challenge remains in mainstreaming ecosystem service information into core public and private use contexts, such as agricultural and energy subsidy design, national income accounts, and corporate accounts. PMID:26082540

  5. Setting the bar: Standards for ecosystem services.

    PubMed

    Polasky, Stephen; Tallis, Heather; Reyers, Belinda

    2015-06-16

    Progress in ecosystem service science has been rapid, and there is now a healthy appetite among key public and private sector decision makers for this science. However, changing policy and management is a long-term project, one that raises a number of specific practical challenges. One impediment to broad adoption of ecosystem service information is the lack of standards that define terminology, acceptable data and methods, and reporting requirements. Ecosystem service standards should be tailored to specific use contexts, such as national income and wealth accounts, corporate sustainability reporting, land-use planning, and environmental impact assessments. Many standard-setting organizations already exist, and the research community will make the most headway toward rapid uptake of ecosystem service science by working directly with these organizations. Progress has been made in aligning with existing organizations in areas such as product certification and sustainability reporting, but a major challenge remains in mainstreaming ecosystem service information into core public and private use contexts, such as agricultural and energy subsidy design, national income accounts, and corporate accounts.

  6. Setting Standards and Primary School Teachers' Experiences of the Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scherman, Vanessa; Zimmerman, Lisa; Howie, Sarah J.; Bosker, Roel

    2014-01-01

    In South Africa, very few standard-setting exercises are carried out in education and, if they are, teachers are not involved in their execution. As a result, there is no clear understanding of what the standard is and how it was arrived at. This situation is compounded when teachers are held accountable when learners do not meet the prescribed…

  7. Comparison of PV signal quality using a novel circular mapping and ablation catheter versus a standard circular mapping catheter.

    PubMed

    von Bary, Christian; Fredersdorf-Hahn, Sabine; Heinicke, Norbert; Jungbauer, Carsten; Schmid, Peter; Riegger, Günter A; Weber, Stefan

    2011-08-01

    Recently, new catheter technologies have been developed for atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. We investigate the diagnostic accuracy of a circular mapping and pulmonary vein ablation catheter (PVAC) compared with a standard circular mapping catheter (Orbiter) and the influence of filter settings on signal quality. After reconstruction of the left atrium by three-dimensional atriography, baseline PV potentials (PVP) were recorded consecutively with PVAC and Orbiter in 20 patients with paroxysmal AF. PVPs were compared and attributed to predefined anatomical PV segments. Ablation was performed in 80 PVs using the PVAC. If isolation of the PVs was assumed, signal assessment of each PV was repeated with the Orbiter. If residual PV potentials could be uncovered, different filter settings were tested to improve mapping quality of the PVAC. Ablation was continued until complete PV isolation (PVI) was confirmed with the Orbiter. Baseline mapping demonstrated a good correlation between the Orbiter and PVAC. Mapping accuracy using the PVAC for mapping and ablation was 94% (74 of 79 PVs). Additional mapping with the Orbiter improved the PV isolation rate to 99%. Adjustment of filter settings failed to improve quality of the PV signals compared with standard filter settings. Using the PVAC as a stand-alone strategy for mapping and ablation, one should be aware that in some cases, different signal morphology mimics PVI isolation. Adjustment of filter settings failed to improve signal quality. The use of an additional mapping catheter is recommended to become familiar with the particular signal morphology during the first PVAC cases or whenever there is a doubt about successful isolation of the pulmonary veins.

  8. Emerging developments in the standardized chemical characterization of indoor air quality.

    PubMed

    Nehr, Sascha; Hösen, Elisabeth; Tanabe, Shin-Ichi

    2017-01-01

    Despite the fact that the special characteristics of indoor air pollution make closed environments quite different from outdoor environments, the conceptual ideas for assessing air quality indoors and outdoors are similar. Therefore, the elaboration of International Standards for air quality characterization in view of controlling indoor air quality should resort to this common basis. In this short review we describe the possibilities of standardization of tools dedicated to indoor air quality characterization with a focus on the tools permitting to study the indoor air chemistry. The link between indoor exposure and health as well as the critical processes driving the indoor air quality are introduced. Available International Standards for the assessment of indoor air quality are depicted. The standards comprise requirements for the sampling on site, the analytical procedures, and the determination of material emissions. To date, these standardized procedures assure that indoor air, settled dust and material samples are analyzed in a comparable manner. However, existing International Standards exclusively specify conventional, event-driven target-screening using discontinuous measurement methods for long-lived pollutants. Therefore, this review draws a parallel between physico-chemical processes in indoor and outdoor environments. The achievements in atmospheric sciences also improve our understanding of indoor environments. The community of atmospheric scientists can be both ideal and supporter for researchers in the area of indoor air quality characterization. This short review concludes with propositions for future standardization activities for the chemical characterization of indoor air quality. Future standardization efforts should focus on: (i) the elaboration of standardized measurement methods and measurement strategies for online monitoring of long-lived and short-lived pollutants, (ii) the assessment of the potential and the limitations of non

  9. The Objective Borderline Method: A Probabilistic Method for Standard Setting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shulruf, Boaz; Poole, Phillippa; Jones, Philip; Wilkinson, Tim

    2015-01-01

    A new probability-based standard setting technique, the Objective Borderline Method (OBM), was introduced recently. This was based on a mathematical model of how test scores relate to student ability. The present study refined the model and tested it using 2500 simulated data-sets. The OBM was feasible to use. On average, the OBM performed well…

  10. SU-E-T-223: High-Energy Photon Standard Dosimetry Data: A Quality Assurance Tool.

    PubMed

    Lowenstein, J; Kry, S; Molineu, A; Alvarez, P; Aguirre, J; Summers, P; Followill, D

    2012-06-01

    Describe the Radiological Physics Center's (RPC) extensive standard dosimetry data set determined from on-site audits measurements. Measurements were made during on-site audits to institutions participating in NCI funded cooperative clinical trials for 44 years using a 0.6cc cylindrical ionization chamber placed within the RPC's water tank. Measurements were made on Varian, Siemens, and Elekta/Philips accelerators for 11 different energies from 68 models of accelerators. We have measured percent depth dose, output factors, and off-axis factors for 123 different accelerator model/energy combinations for which we have 5 or more sets of measurements. The RPC analyzed these data and determined the 'standard data' for each model/energy combination. The RPC defines 'standard data' as the mean value of 5 or more sets of dosimetry data or agreement with published depth dose data (within 2%). The analysis of these standard data indicates that for modern accelerator models, the dosimetry data for a particular model/energy are within ï,±2%. The RPC has always found accelerators of the same make/model/energy combination have the same dosimetric properties in terms of depth dose, field size dependence and off-axis factors. Because of this consistency, the RPC can assign standard data for percent depth dose, average output factors and off-axis factors for a given combination of energy and accelerator make and model. The RPC standard data can be used as a redundant quality assurance tool to assist Medical Physicists to have confidence in their clinical data to within 2%. The next step is for the RPC to provide a way for institutions to submit data to the RPC to determine if their data agrees with the standard data as a redundant check. This work was supported by PHS grants CA10953 awarded by NCI, DHHS. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

  11. 45 CFR 205.190 - Standard-setting authority for institutions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ...(ies) in the development of standards directed toward assuring adequate quality of care; in upgrading... are hazardous to the safety of the patients; and in planning so that institutions may be...(AABD) of the Social Security Act includes aid or assistance to individuals in institutions as defined...

  12. Software Quality Assurance and Controls Standard

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-04-27

    Software Quality Assurance d C t l St d dan on ro s an ar Sue Carroll Principal Software Quality Analyst, SAS John Wal z VP Technology and...for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that...Cycle (SLC) process? • What is in a SQA Process? • Where are SQA Controls? • What is the SQA standards history? Wh t i h i i SQA?• a s c ang ng n

  13. British Thoracic Society quality standards for the investigation and management of pulmonary nodules.

    PubMed

    Baldwin, David; Callister, Matthew; Akram, Ahsan; Cane, Paul; Draffan, Jeanette; Franks, Kevin; Gleeson, Fergus; Graham, Richard; Malhotra, Puneet; Pearson, Philip; Subesinghe, Manil; Waller, David; Woolhouse, Ian

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of the quality standards document is to provide healthcare professionals, commissioners, service providers and patients with a guide to standards of care that should be met for the investigation and management of pulmonary nodules in the UK, together with measurable markers of good practice. Development of British Thoracic Society (BTS) Quality Standards follows the BTS process of quality standard production based on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence process manual for the development of quality standards. 7 quality statements have been developed, each describing a key marker of high-quality, cost-effective care for the investigation and management of pulmonary nodules, and each statement is supported by quality measures that aim to improve the structure, process and outcomes of healthcare. BTS Quality Standards for the investigation and management of pulmonary nodules form a key part of the range of supporting materials that the Society produces to assist in the dissemination and implementation of guideline recommendations.

  14. British Thoracic Society quality standards for the investigation and management of pulmonary nodules

    PubMed Central

    Baldwin, David; Callister, Matthew; Akram, Ahsan; Cane, Paul; Draffan, Jeanette; Franks, Kevin; Gleeson, Fergus; Graham, Richard; Malhotra, Puneet; Pearson, Philip; Subesinghe, Manil; Waller, David; Woolhouse, Ian

    2018-01-01

    Introduction The purpose of the quality standards document is to provide healthcare professionals, commissioners, service providers and patients with a guide to standards of care that should be met for the investigation and management of pulmonary nodules in the UK, together with measurable markers of good practice. Methods Development of British Thoracic Society (BTS) Quality Standards follows the BTS process of quality standard production based on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence process manual for the development of quality standards. Results 7 quality statements have been developed, each describing a key marker of high-quality, cost-effective care for the investigation and management of pulmonary nodules, and each statement is supported by quality measures that aim to improve the structure, process and outcomes of healthcare. Discussion BTS Quality Standards for the investigation and management of pulmonary nodules form a key part of the range of supporting materials that the Society produces to assist in the dissemination and implementation of guideline recommendations. PMID:29682290

  15. A primer on standards setting as it applies to surgical education and credentialing.

    PubMed

    Cendan, Juan; Wier, Daryl; Behrns, Kevin

    2013-07-01

    Surgical technological advances in the past three decades have led to dramatic reductions in the morbidity associated with abdominal procedures and permanently altered the surgical practice landscape. Significant changes continue apace including surgical robotics, natural orifice-based surgery, and single-incision approaches. These disruptive technologies have on occasion been injurious to patients, and high-stakes assessment before adoption of new technologies would be reasonable. We reviewed the drivers for well-established psychometric techniques available for the standards-setting process. We present a series of examples that are relevant in the surgical domain including standards setting for knowledge and skills assessments. Defensible standards for knowledge and procedural skills will likely become part of surgical clinical practice. Understanding the methodology for determining standards should position the surgical community to assist in the process and lead within their clinical settings as standards are considered that may affect patient safety and physician credentialing.

  16. Telecommunications and information technology standard-setting in Japan: A preliminary survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Besen, Stanley M.

    This note describes and analyzes telecommunications and information technology standard setting in Japan, compares the organization and structure of a private Japanese voluntary standard organization with those of similar European and American organizations, and examines the prospects for cooperating among these groups.

  17. 40 CFR 131.22 - EPA promulgation of water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... promulgation of water quality standards. (a) If the State does not adopt the changes specified by the Regional... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false EPA promulgation of water quality standards. 131.22 Section 131.22 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER...

  18. 40 CFR 131.22 - EPA promulgation of water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... promulgation of water quality standards. (a) If the State does not adopt the changes specified by the Regional... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2014-07-01 2013-07-01 true EPA promulgation of water quality standards. 131.22 Section 131.22 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER...

  19. 40 CFR 131.22 - EPA promulgation of water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... promulgation of water quality standards. (a) If the State does not adopt the changes specified by the Regional... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false EPA promulgation of water quality standards. 131.22 Section 131.22 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER...

  20. 25 CFR 273.38 - Equal quality and standard of education.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Equal quality and standard of education. 273.38 Section... EDUCATION ASSISTANCE ACT PROGRAM EDUCATION CONTRACTS UNDER JOHNSON-O'MALLEY ACT Funding Provisions § 273.38 Equal quality and standard of education. Contracts with State education agencies or school districts...

  1. 40 CFR 131.20 - State review and revision of water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false State review and revision of water quality standards. 131.20 Section 131.20 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS WATER QUALITY STANDARDS Procedures for Review and Revision of Water Quality Standards § 131.20 State review and revision of...

  2. Standard Setting Lessons Learned in the South African Context: Implications for International Implementation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pitoniak, Mary J.; Yeld, Nan

    2013-01-01

    Criterion-referenced assessments have become more common around the world, with performance standards being set to differentiate different levels of student performance. However, use of standard setting methods developed in the United States may be complicated by factors related to the political and educational contexts within another country. In…

  3. Asbestos: Rationale Behind a Proposed Air Quality Standard

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bruckman, Leonard; Rubino, Robert A.

    1975-01-01

    This article proposes an asbestos air quality standard for Connecticut lower than proposed Federal regulation. Data are given relating mesothelioma incidence to occupational and non-occupational asbestos exposure. New standards lower asbestos emissions from manufacturing operations thus reducing possible asbestos-related fatalities. Rebuttals and…

  4. Concept of Draft International Standard for a Unified Approach to Space Program Quality Assurance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stryzhak, Y.; Vasilina, V.; Kurbatov, V.

    2002-01-01

    For want of the unified approach to guaranteed space project and product quality assurance, implementation of many international space programs has become a challenge. Globalization of aerospace industry and participation of various international ventures with diverse quality assurance requirements in big international space programs requires for urgent generation of unified international standards related to this field. To ensure successful fulfillment of space missions, aerospace companies should design and process reliable and safe products with properties complying or bettering User's (or Customer's) requirements. Quality of the products designed or processed by subcontractors (or other suppliers) should also be in compliance with the main user (customer)'s requirements. Implementation of this involved set of unified requirements will be made possible by creating and approving a system (series) of international standards under a generic title Space Product Quality Assurance based on a system consensus principle. Conceptual features of the baseline standard in this system (series) should comprise: - Procedures for ISO 9000, CEN and ECSS requirements adaptation and introduction into space product creation, design, manufacture, testing and operation; - Procedures for quality assurance at initial (design) phases of space programs, with a decision on the end product made based on the principle of independence; - Procedures to arrange incoming inspection of products delivered by subcontractors (including testing, audit of supplier's procedures, review of supplier's documentation), and space product certification; - Procedures to identify materials and primary products applied; - Procedures for quality system audit at the component part, primary product and materials supplier facilities; - Unified procedures to form a list of basic performances to be under configuration management; - Unified procedures to form a list of critical space product components, and unified

  5. 40 CFR 131.20 - State review and revision of water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... accordance with provisions of State law, EPA's water quality management regulation (40 CFR 130.3(b)(6)) and... quality standards. 131.20 Section 131.20 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS WATER QUALITY STANDARDS Procedures for Review and Revision of Water Quality...

  6. A standard bacterial isolate set for research on contemporary dairy spoilage.

    PubMed

    Trmčić, A; Martin, N H; Boor, K J; Wiedmann, M

    2015-08-01

    Food spoilage is an ongoing issue that could be dealt with more efficiently if some standardization and unification was introduced in this field of research. For example, research and development efforts to understand and reduce food spoilage can greatly be enhanced through availability and use of standardized isolate sets. To address this critical issue, we have assembled a standard isolate set of dairy spoilers and other selected nonpathogenic organisms frequently associated with dairy products. This publicly available bacterial set consists of (1) 35 gram-positive isolates including 9 Bacillus and 15 Paenibacillus isolates and (2) 16 gram-negative isolates including 4 Pseudomonas and 8 coliform isolates. The set includes isolates obtained from samples of pasteurized milk (n=43), pasteurized chocolate milk (n=1), raw milk (n=1), cheese (n=2), as well as isolates obtained from samples obtained from dairy-powder production (n=4). Analysis of growth characteristics in skim milk broth identified 16 gram-positive and 13 gram-negative isolates as psychrotolerant. Additional phenotypic characterization of isolates included testing for activity of β-galactosidase and lipolytic and proteolytic enzymes. All groups of isolates included in the isolate set exhibited diversity in growth and enzyme activity. Source data for all isolates in this isolate set are publicly available in the FoodMicrobeTracker database (http://www.foodmicrobetracker.com), which allows for continuous updating of information and advancement of knowledge on dairy-spoilage representatives included in this isolate set. This isolate set along with publicly available isolate data provide a unique resource that will help advance knowledge of dairy-spoilage organisms as well as aid industry in development and validation of new control strategies. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. A new approach to the identification of Landscape Quality Objectives (LQOs) as a set of indicators.

    PubMed

    Sowińska-Świerkosz, Barbara Natalia; Chmielewski, Tadeusz J

    2016-12-15

    The objective of the paper is threefold: (1) to introduce Landscape Quality Objectives (LQOs) as a set of indicators; (2) to present a method of linking social and expert opinion in the process of the formulation of landscape indicators; and (3) to present a methodological framework for the identification of LQOs. The implementation of these goals adopted a six-stage procedure based on the use of landscape units: (1) GIS analysis; (2) classification; (3) social survey; (4) expert value judgement; (5) quality assessment; and (6) guidelines formulation. The essence of the research was the presentation of features that determine landscape quality according to public opinion as a set of indicators. The results showed that 80 such indicators were identified, of both a qualitative (49) and a quantitative character (31). Among the analysed units, 60% (18 objects) featured socially expected (and confirmed by experts) levels of landscape quality, and 20% (6 objects) required overall quality improvement in terms of both public and expert opinion. The adopted procedure provides a new tool for integrating social responsibility into environmental management. The advantage of the presented method is the possibility of its application in the territories of various European countries. It is flexible enough to be based on cartographic studies, landscape research methods, and environmental quality standards existing in a given country. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Standard Setting for OSCEs: Trial of Borderline Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kilminster, Sue; Roberts, Trudie

    2004-01-01

    OSCE examinations were held in May and June 2002 for all third and fourth year and some fifth year medical students at the University of Leeds. There has been an arbitrary pass mark of 65% for these examinations. However, we recognise that it is important to adopt a systematic approach towards standard setting in all examinations so held a trial…

  9. Assessing the conceptual clarity and evidence base of quality criteria/standards developed for evaluating decision aids

    PubMed Central

    McDonald, Heather; Charles, Cathy; Gafni, Amiram

    2011-01-01

    Abstract Context  Promoting patient participation in treatment decision making is of increasing interest to researchers, clinicians and policy makers. Decision aids (DAs) are advocated as one way to help achieve this goal. Despite their proliferation, there has been little agreement on criteria or standards for evaluating these tools. To fill this gap, an international collaboration of researchers and others interested in the development, content and quality of DAs have worked over the past several years to develop a checklist and, based on this checklist, an instrument for determining whether any given DA meets a defined set of quality criteria. Objective/Methods  In this paper, we offer a framework for assessing the conceptual clarity and evidence base used to support the development of quality criteria/standards for evaluating DAs. We then apply this framework to assess the conceptual clarity and evidence base underlying the International Patient Decision Aids Standards (IPDAS) checklist criteria for one of the checklist domains: how best to present in DAs probability information to patients on treatment benefits and risks. Conclusion  We found that some of the central concepts underlying the presenting probabilities domain were not defined. We also found gaps in the empirical evidence and theoretical support for this domain and criteria within this domain. Finally, we offer suggestions for steps that should be undertaken for further development and refinement of quality standards for DAs in the future. PMID:22050440

  10. Early Childhood Standards of Quality for Prekindergarten through Second Grade.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Michigan State Board of Education, Lansing.

    Recognizing the value and need for quality early childhood education programs for children ages four through eight years, the Michigan State Board of Education appointed an ad hoc committee to develop standards of quality. Based on the draft developed by this committee, this standards guide is designed to assist administrators, teachers, and…

  11. 26 CFR 1.23-4 - Performance and quality standards. [Reserved

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Performance and quality standards. [Reserved] 1.23-4 Section 1.23-4 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY INCOME TAX INCOME TAXES Changes in Rates During A Taxable Year § 1.23-4 Performance and quality standards. [Reserved...

  12. [Quality standards for duplex ultrasonographic assessment (duplex us) of abdominal aortic stent grafts].

    PubMed

    Diard, A; Becker, F; Pichot, O

    2017-05-01

    The quality standards of the French Society of Vascular Medicine for the ultrasound assessment of lower limb arteries in vascular medicine practice are based on the principle that these examinations have to meet two requirements: technical know-how (knowledge of devices and methodologies); medical know-how (level of examination matching the indication and purpose of the examination, interpretation and critical analysis of results). To describe an optimal level of examination adjusted to the indication or clinical hypothesis; to establish harmonious practices, methodologies, terminologies, results description and report; to provide good practice reference points and to promote a high quality process. The three levels of examination, indications and objectives for each level; the reference standard examination (level 2) and its variants according to indications; the minimal content of the exam report, the medical conclusion letter to the corresponding physician (synthesis, conclusion and management suggestions); commented glossary (anatomy, hemodynamics, signs and symptoms); technical basis; device settings. Here, we discuss duplex ultrasound for the supervision of the aortic stent grafts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  13. 45 CFR 205.190 - Standard-setting authority for institutions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 2 2013-10-01 2012-10-01 true Standard-setting authority for institutions. 205.190 Section 205.190 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare OFFICE OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE (ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS), ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES...

  14. 45 CFR 205.190 - Standard-setting authority for institutions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard-setting authority for institutions. 205.190 Section 205.190 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare OFFICE OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE (ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS), ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES...

  15. 45 CFR 205.190 - Standard-setting authority for institutions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Standard-setting authority for institutions. 205.190 Section 205.190 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare OFFICE OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE (ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS), ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES...

  16. 45 CFR 205.190 - Standard-setting authority for institutions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Standard-setting authority for institutions. 205.190 Section 205.190 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare OFFICE OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE (ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS), ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES...

  17. 78 FR 20252 - Water Quality Standards; Withdrawal of Certain Federal Water Quality Criteria Applicable to...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-04

    ... aquatic life water quality criteria applicable to waters of New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and California's San Francisco Bay. In 1992, EPA promulgated the National Toxics Rule or NTR to establish numeric water quality... Water Quality Standards; Withdrawal of Certain Federal Water Quality Criteria Applicable to California...

  18. Some Practical Solutions to Standard-Setting Problems: The Georgia Teacher Certification Test Experience.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cramer, Stephen E.

    A standard-setting procedure was developed for the Georgia Teacher Certification Testing Program as tests in 30 teaching fields were revised. A list of important characteristics of a standard-setting procedure was derived, drawing on the work of R. A. Berk (1986). The best method was found to be a highly formalized judgmental, empirical Angoff…

  19. Do efforts to standardize, assess and improve the quality of health service provision to adolescents by government-run health services in low and middle income countries, lead to improvements in service-quality and service-utilization by adolescents?

    PubMed

    Chandra-Mouli, Venkatraman; Chatterjee, Subidita; Bose, Krishna

    2016-02-06

    Researchers and implementers working in adolescent health, and adolescents themselves question whether government-run health services in conservative and resource-constrained settings can be made adolescent friendly. This paper aims to find out what selected low and middle income country (LMIC) governments have set out to do to improve the quality of health service provision to adolescents; whether their efforts led to measurable improvements in quality and to increased health service-utilization by adolescents. We gathered normative guidance and reports from eight LMICs in Asia, Africa, Central and Eastern Europe and the Western Pacific. We analysed national quality standards for adolescent friendly health services, findings from the assessments of the quality of health service provision, and findings on the utilization of health services. Governments of LMICs have set out to improve the accessibility, acceptability, equity, appropriateness and effectiveness of health service provision to adolescents by defining standards and actions to achieve them. Their actions have led to measurable improvements in quality and to increases in health service utilisation by adolescents. With support, government-run health facilities in LMICs can improve the quality of health services and their utilization by adolescents.

  20. Transportable GPU (General Processor Units) chip set technology for standard computer architectures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fosdick, R. E.; Denison, H. C.

    1982-11-01

    The USAFR-developed GPU Chip Set has been utilized by Tracor to implement both USAF and Navy Standard 16-Bit Airborne Computer Architectures. Both configurations are currently being delivered into DOD full-scale development programs. Leadless Hermetic Chip Carrier packaging has facilitated implementation of both architectures on single 41/2 x 5 substrates. The CMOS and CMOS/SOS implementations of the GPU Chip Set have allowed both CPU implementations to use less than 3 watts of power each. Recent efforts by Tracor for USAF have included the definition of a next-generation GPU Chip Set that will retain the application-proven architecture of the current chip set while offering the added cost advantages of transportability across ISO-CMOS and CMOS/SOS processes and across numerous semiconductor manufacturers using a newly-defined set of common design rules. The Enhanced GPU Chip Set will increase speed by an approximate factor of 3 while significantly reducing chip counts and costs of standard CPU implementations.

  1. Stable aesthetic standards delusion: changing 'artistic quality' by elaboration.

    PubMed

    Carbon, Claus-Christian; Hesslinger, Vera M

    2014-01-01

    The present study challenges the notion that judgments of artistic quality are based on stable aesthetic standards. We propose that such standards are a delusion and that judgments of artistic quality are the combined result of exposure, elaboration, and discourse. We ran two experiments using elaboration tasks based on the repeated evaluation technique in which different versions of the Mona Lisa had to be elaborated deeply. During the initial task either the version known from the Louvre or an alternative version owned by the Prado was elaborated; during the second task both versions were elaborated in a comparative fashion. After both tasks multiple blends of the two versions had to be evaluated concerning several aesthetic key variables. Judgments of artistic quality of the blends were significantly different depending on the initially elaborated version of the Mona Lisa, indicating experience-based aesthetic processing, which contradicts the notion of stable aesthetic standards.

  2. Diagnostic Profiles: A Standard Setting Method for Use with a Cognitive Diagnostic Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Skaggs, Gary; Hein, Serge F.; Wilkins, Jesse L. M.

    2016-01-01

    This article introduces the Diagnostic Profiles (DP) standard setting method for setting a performance standard on a test developed from a cognitive diagnostic model (CDM), the outcome of which is a profile of mastered and not-mastered skills or attributes rather than a single test score. In the DP method, the key judgment task for panelists is a…

  3. Setting up the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Standard Star Network: The Starware

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, J. A.; Tucker, D. L.; Brinkmann, J.; Annis, J.; Briggs, J. W.; Doi, M.; Fukugita, M.; Gunn, J. E.; Hamabe, M.; Ichikawa, S.; Ichikawa, T.; Kent, S.; McKay, T. A.; McMillan, R.; Merrelli, A.; Newberg, H. J.; Richmond, M. W.; Watanabe, M.

    1998-12-01

    The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) has achieved first light. Though still in the engineering shakedown year, the image quality of some of these early runs is useable for science results. Although similar to the Thuan-Gunn ugriz system, the SDSS u'g'r'i'z' system has wider effective bandwidths and covers almost the entire spectrum from the 3000 Angstroms/ to 11 000 Angstroms. This is a new photometric system; therefore, calibration of a network of primary standard stars is needed before the survey science results can be interpreted properly. Beginning in earnest in March 1998, we started the calibration observations to define the SDSS u'g'r'i'z' standard star system using the 40-inch Ritchey-Chretien telescope at the United States Naval Observatory's Flagstaff, Arizona Station. As described in the paper announcing the system [Fukugita et al. 1996], the zeropoints for each of the five filters will be set by the metal-poor F subdwarfs BD+17:4708, BD+26:2606 & BD+21:0607. In this paper, we describe the rest of the stars being considered as potential standards to define this new system, changes from the preliminary list presented last year [Smith et al. 1998], and give some early (NOT YET OFFICIAL) results. Descriptions of the reduction software (D.L. Tucker et al.) and the hardware used to obtain these observations (J. Brinkmann et al.) are described in companion posters.

  4. Do Energy Efficiency Standards Improve Quality? Evidence from a Revealed Preference Approach

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Houde, Sebastien; Spurlock, C. Anna

    Minimum energy efficiency standards have occupied a central role in U.S. energy policy for more than three decades, but little is known about their welfare effects. In this paper, we employ a revealed preference approach to quantify the impact of past revisions in energy efficiency standards on product quality. The micro-foundation of our approach is a discrete choice model that allows us to compute a price-adjusted index of vertical quality. Focusing on the appliance market, we show that several standard revisions during the period 2001-2011 have led to an increase in quality. We also show that these standards have hadmore » a modest effect on prices, and in some cases they even led to decreases in prices. For revision events where overall quality increases and prices decrease, the consumer welfare effect of tightening the standards is unambiguously positive. Finally, we show that after controlling for the effect of improvement in energy efficiency, standards have induced an expansion of quality in the non-energy dimension. We discuss how imperfect competition can rationalize these results.« less

  5. Colorado Air Quality Control Regulations and Ambient Air Quality Standards.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Colorado State Dept. of Health, Denver. Div. of Air Pollution Control.

    Regulations and standards relative to air quality control in Colorado are defined in this publication. Presented first are definitions of terms, a statement of intent, and general provisions applicable to all emission control regulations adopted by the Colorado Air Pollution Control Commission. Following this, three regulations are enumerated: (1)…

  6. [Development and validation of quality standards for colonoscopy].

    PubMed

    Sánchez Del Río, Antonio; Baudet, Juan Salvador; Naranjo Rodríguez, Antonio; Campo Fernández de Los Ríos, Rafael; Salces Franco, Inmaculada; Aparicio Tormo, Jose Ramón; Sánchez Muñoz, Diego; Llach, Joseph; Hervás Molina, Antonio; Parra-Blanco, Adolfo; Díaz Acosta, Juan Antonio

    2010-01-30

    Before starting programs for colorectal cancer screening it is necessary to evaluate the quality of colonoscopy. Our objectives were to develop a group of quality indicators of colonoscopy easily applicable and to determine the variability of their achievement. After reviewing the bibliography we prepared 21 potential indicators of quality that were submitted to a process of selection in which we measured their facial validity, content validity, reliability and viability of their measurement. We estimated the variability of their achievement by means of the coefficient of variability (CV) and the variability of the achievement of the standards by means of chi(2). Six indicators overcome the selection process: informed consent, medication administered, completed colonoscopy, complications, every polyp removed and recovered, and adenoma detection rate in patients older than 50 years. 1928 colonoscopies were included from eight endoscopy units. Every unit included the same number of colonoscopies selected by means of simple random sampling with substitution. There was an important variability in the achievement of some indicators and standards: medication administered (CV 43%, p<0.01), complications registered (CV 37%, p<0.01), every polyp removed and recovered (CV 12%, p<0.01) and adenoma detection rate in older than fifty years (CV 2%, p<0.01). We have validated six quality indicators for colonoscopy which are easily measurable. An important variability exists in the achievement of some indicators and standards. Our data highlight the importance of the development of continuous quality improvement programmes for colonoscopy before starting colorectal cancer screening. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

  7. Will the circle be unbroken: a history of the U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

    PubMed

    Bachmann, John

    2007-06-01

    In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Air & Waste Management Association, this review examines the history of air quality management (AQM) in the United States over the last century, with an emphasis on the ambient standards programs established by the landmark 1970 Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments. The current CAA system is a hybrid of several distinct air pollution control philosophies, including the recursive or circular system driven by ambient standards. Although this evolving system has resulted in tremendous improvements in air quality, it has been far from perfect in terms of timeliness and effectiveness. The paper looks at several periods in the history of the U.S. program, including: (1) 1900-1970, spanning the early smoke abatement and smog control programs, the first federal involvement, and the development of a hybrid AQM approach in the 1970 CAA; (2) 1971-1976, when the first National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) were set and implemented; (3) 1977-1993, a period of the first revisions to the standards, new CAA Amendments, delays in implementation and decision-making, and key science/policy/legislative developments that would alter both the focus and scale of air pollution programs and how they are implemented; and (4) 1993-2006, the second and third wave of NAAQS revisions and their implementation in the context of the 1990 CAA. This discussion examines where NAAQS have helped drive implementation programs and how improvements in both effects and air quality/control sciences influenced policy and legislation to enhance the effectiveness of the system over time. The review concludes with a look toward the future of AQM, emphasizing challenges and ways to meet them. The most significant of these is the need to make more efficient progress toward air quality goals, while adjusting the system to address the growing intersections between air quality management and climate change.

  8. National Standards for Quality Online Courses: Version 2

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    International Association for K-12 Online Learning, 2011

    2011-01-01

    The mission of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) is to ensure all students have access to world-class education and quality online learning opportunities that prepare them for a lifetime of success. "National Standards for Quality Online Courses" is designed to provide states, districts, online programs, and…

  9. Standardized development of computer software. Part 2: Standards

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tausworthe, R. C.

    1978-01-01

    This monograph contains standards for software development and engineering. The book sets forth rules for design, specification, coding, testing, documentation, and quality assurance audits of software; it also contains detailed outlines for the documentation to be produced.

  10. Development of a direct observation Measure of Environmental Qualities of Activity Settings.

    PubMed

    King, Gillian; Rigby, Patty; Batorowicz, Beata; McMain-Klein, Margot; Petrenchik, Theresa; Thompson, Laura; Gibson, Michelle

    2014-08-01

    The aim of this study was to develop an observer-rated measure of aesthetic, physical, social, and opportunity-related qualities of leisure activity settings for young people (with or without disabilities). Eighty questionnaires were completed by sets of raters who independently rated 22 community/home activity settings. The scales of the 32-item Measure of Environmental Qualities of Activity Settings (MEQAS; Opportunities for Social Activities, Opportunities for Physical Activities, Pleasant Physical Environment, Opportunities for Choice, Opportunities for Personal Growth, and Opportunities to Interact with Adults) were determined using principal components analyses. Test-retest reliability was determined for eight activity settings, rated twice (4-6wk interval) by a trained rater. The factor structure accounted for 80% of the variance. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy was 0.73. Cronbach's alphas for the scales ranged from 0.76 to 0.96, and interrater reliabilities (ICCs) ranged from 0.60 to 0.93. Test-retest reliabilities ranged from 0.70 to 0.90. Results suggest that the MEQAS has a sound factor structure and preliminary evidence of internal consistency, interrater, and test-retest reliability. The MEQAS is the first observer-completed measure of environmental qualities of activity settings. The MEQAS allows researchers to assess comprehensively qualities and affordances of activity settings, and can be used to design and assess environmental qualities of programs for young people. © 2014 Mac Keith Press.

  11. Study on Quality Standard of Processed Curcuma Longa Radix

    PubMed Central

    Zhao, Yongfeng; Quan, Liang; Zhou, Haiting; Cao, Dong; Li, Wenbing; Yang, Zhuo

    2017-01-01

    To control the quality of Curcuma Longa Radix by establishing quality standards, this paper increased the contents of extract and volatile oil determination. Meanwhile, the curcumin was selected as the internal marker, and the relative correlation factors (RCFs) of demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin were established by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The contents of multicomponents were calculated based on their RCFs. The rationality and feasibility of the methods were evaluated by comparison of the quantitative results between external standard method (ESM) and quantitative analysis of multicomponents by single-marker (QAMS). Ethanol extracts ranged from 9.749 to 15.644% and the mean value was 13.473%. The volatile oil ranged from 0.45 to 0.90 mL/100 g and the mean value was 0.66 mL/100 g. This method was accurate and feasible and could provide a reference for further comprehensive and effective control of the quality standard of Curcuma Longa Radix and its processed products. PMID:29375640

  12. 30 CFR 816.42 - Hydrologic balance: Water quality standards and effluent limitations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Hydrologic balance: Water quality standards and effluent limitations. 816.42 Section 816.42 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND... STANDARDS-SURFACE MINING ACTIVITIES § 816.42 Hydrologic balance: Water quality standards and effluent...

  13. 30 CFR 817.42 - Hydrologic balance: Water quality standards and effluent limitations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Hydrologic balance: Water quality standards and effluent limitations. 817.42 Section 817.42 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND... STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND MINING ACTIVITIES § 817.42 Hydrologic balance: Water quality standards and effluent...

  14. 30 CFR 817.42 - Hydrologic balance: Water quality standards and effluent limitations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Hydrologic balance: Water quality standards and effluent limitations. 817.42 Section 817.42 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND... STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND MINING ACTIVITIES § 817.42 Hydrologic balance: Water quality standards and effluent...

  15. 30 CFR 816.42 - Hydrologic balance: Water quality standards and effluent limitations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Hydrologic balance: Water quality standards and effluent limitations. 816.42 Section 816.42 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND... STANDARDS-SURFACE MINING ACTIVITIES § 816.42 Hydrologic balance: Water quality standards and effluent...

  16. Outcome quality standards in pancreatic oncologic surgery in Spain.

    PubMed

    Sabater, Luis; Mora, Isabel; Gámez Del Castillo, Juan Manuel; Escrig-Sos, Javier; Muñoz-Forner, Elena; Garcés-Albir, Marina; Dorcaratto, Dimitri; Ortega, Joaquín

    2018-05-18

    To establish quality standards in oncologic surgery is a complex but necessary challenge to improve surgical outcomes. Unlike other tumors, there are no well-defined quality standards in pancreatic cancer. The aim of this study is to identify quality indicators in pancreatic oncologic surgery in Spain as well as their acceptable limits of variability. Quality indicators were selected based on clinical practice guidelines, consensus conferences, reviews and national publications on oncologic pancreatic surgery between the years 2000 and 2016. Variability margins for each indicator have been determined by statistical process control techniques and graphically represented with the 99.8 and 95% confidence intervals above and below the weighted average according to sample size. The following indicators have been determined with their weighted average and acceptable quality limits: resectability rate 71% (>58%), morbidity 58% (<73%), mortality 4% (<10%), biliary leak 6% (<14%), pancreatic fistula rate 18% (<29%), hemorrhage 11% (<21%), reoperation rate 11% (<20%) and mean hospital stay (<21 days). To date, few related series have been published, and they present important methodological limitations. Among the selected indicators, the morbidity and mortality quality limits have come out higher than those obtained in international standards. It is necessary for Spanish pancreatic surgeons to adopt homogeneous criteria regarding indicators and their definitions to allow for the comparison of their results. Copyright © 2018 AEC. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  17. 40 CFR 50.8 - National primary ambient air quality standards for carbon monoxide.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false National primary ambient air quality standards for carbon monoxide. 50.8 Section 50.8 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS NATIONAL PRIMARY AND SECONDARY AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS § 50.8 National primary ambient air quality standards for...

  18. 40 CFR 50.8 - National primary ambient air quality standards for carbon monoxide.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false National primary ambient air quality standards for carbon monoxide. 50.8 Section 50.8 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS NATIONAL PRIMARY AND SECONDARY AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS § 50.8 National primary ambient air quality standards for...

  19. 40 CFR 50.8 - National primary ambient air quality standards for carbon monoxide.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false National primary ambient air quality standards for carbon monoxide. 50.8 Section 50.8 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS NATIONAL PRIMARY AND SECONDARY AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS § 50.8 National primary ambient air quality standards for...

  20. Extending Participation in Standard Setting: An Online Judging Proposal

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    MacCann, Robert G.; Stanley, Gordon

    2010-01-01

    In order for standard setting to retain public confidence, it will be argued there are two important requirements. One is that the judges' allocation of students to performance bands would yield results broadly consistent with the expectation of the wider educational community. Secondly, in the absence of any change in educational performance,…

  1. Standard Setting Methods for Pass/Fail Decisions on High-Stakes Objective Structured Clinical Examinations: A Validity Study.

    PubMed

    Yousuf, Naveed; Violato, Claudio; Zuberi, Rukhsana W

    2015-01-01

    CONSTRUCT: Authentic standard setting methods will demonstrate high convergent validity evidence of their outcomes, that is, cutoff scores and pass/fail decisions, with most other methods when compared with each other. The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) was established for valid, reliable, and objective assessment of clinical skills in health professions education. Various standard setting methods have been proposed to identify objective, reliable, and valid cutoff scores on OSCEs. These methods may identify different cutoff scores for the same examinations. Identification of valid and reliable cutoff scores for OSCEs remains an important issue and a challenge. Thirty OSCE stations administered at least twice in the years 2010-2012 to 393 medical students in Years 2 and 3 at Aga Khan University are included. Psychometric properties of the scores are determined. Cutoff scores and pass/fail decisions of Wijnen, Cohen, Mean-1.5SD, Mean-1SD, Angoff, borderline group and borderline regression (BL-R) methods are compared with each other and with three variants of cluster analysis using repeated measures analysis of variance and Cohen's kappa. The mean psychometric indices on the 30 OSCE stations are reliability coefficient = 0.76 (SD = 0.12); standard error of measurement = 5.66 (SD = 1.38); coefficient of determination = 0.47 (SD = 0.19), and intergrade discrimination = 7.19 (SD = 1.89). BL-R and Wijnen methods show the highest convergent validity evidence among other methods on the defined criteria. Angoff and Mean-1.5SD demonstrated least convergent validity evidence. The three cluster variants showed substantial convergent validity with borderline methods. Although there was a high level of convergent validity of Wijnen method, it lacks the theoretical strength to be used for competency-based assessments. The BL-R method is found to show the highest convergent validity evidences for OSCEs with other standard setting methods used in the present study

  2. Nurse managers' experiences in continuous quality improvement in resource-poor healthcare settings.

    PubMed

    Kakyo, Tracy Alexis; Xiao, Lily Dongxia

    2017-06-01

    Ensuring safe and quality care for patients in hospitals is an important part of a nurse manager's role. Continuous quality improvement has been identified as one approach that leads to the delivery of quality care services to patients and is widely used by nurse managers to improve patient care. Nurse managers' experiences in initiating continuous quality improvement activities in resource-poor healthcare settings remain largely unknown. Research evidence is highly demanded in these settings to address disease burden and evidence-based practice. This interpretive qualitative study was conducted to gain an understanding of nurse managers' Continuous Quality Improvement experiences in rural hospitals in Uganda. Nurse managers in rural healthcare settings used their role to prioritize quality improvement activities, monitor the Continuous Quality Improvement process, and utilize in-service education to support continuous quality improvement. The nurse managers in our sample encountered a number of barriers during the implementation of Continuous Quality Improvement, including: limited patient participation, lack of materials, and limited human resources. Efforts to address the challenges faced through good governance and leadership development require more attention. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  3. Setting standards for product selection: allergy prevention.

    PubMed

    White, I R

    1997-01-01

    It is axiomatic to state that if products made of natural rubber latex were not used in health care settings then there would be no problems of acquired hypersensitivity from such products. Although synthetic materials are available they do not currently possess the same technical qualities of elasticity and comfort, nor do they deliver the desired degree of protection against biological agents as gloves made out of natural rubber latex. Selection of gloves either for non-sterile procedures or sterile surgical use should be based on this understanding, and gloves with minimal levels of extractable latex proteins should be used.

  4. Using Clinical Data Standards to Measure Quality: A New Approach.

    PubMed

    D'Amore, John D; Li, Chun; McCrary, Laura; Niloff, Jonathan M; Sittig, Dean F; McCoy, Allison B; Wright, Adam

    2018-04-01

     Value-based payment for care requires the consistent, objective calculation of care quality. Previous initiatives to calculate ambulatory quality measures have relied on billing data or individual electronic health records (EHRs) to calculate and report performance. New methods for quality measure calculation promoted by federal regulations allow qualified clinical data registries to report quality outcomes based on data aggregated across facilities and EHRs using interoperability standards.  This research evaluates the use of clinical document interchange standards as the basis for quality measurement.  Using data on 1,100 patients from 11 ambulatory care facilities and 5 different EHRs, challenges to quality measurement are identified and addressed for 17 certified quality measures.  Iterative solutions were identified for 14 measures that improved patient inclusion and measure calculation accuracy. Findings validate this approach to improving measure accuracy while maintaining measure certification.  Organizations that report care quality should be aware of how identified issues affect quality measure selection and calculation. Quality measure authors should consider increasing real-world validation and the consistency of measure logic in respect to issues identified in this research. Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart.

  5. 42 CFR 493.1239 - Standard: General laboratory systems quality assessment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... of general laboratory systems quality assessment reviews with appropriate staff. (c) The laboratory must document all general laboratory systems quality assessment activities. [68 FR 3703, Jan. 24, 2003... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard: General laboratory systems quality...

  6. Development of ICF Core Sets to standardize assessment of functioning and impairment in ADHD: the path ahead.

    PubMed

    Bölte, Sven; de Schipper, Elles; Holtmann, Martin; Karande, Sunil; de Vries, Petrus J; Selb, Melissa; Tannock, Rosemary

    2014-12-01

    In the study of health and quality of life in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), it is of paramount importance to include assessment of functioning. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provides a comprehensive, universally accepted framework for the description of functioning in relation to health conditions. In this paper, the authors outline the process to develop ICF Core Sets for ADHD. ICF Core Sets are subgroups of ICF categories selected to capture the aspects of functioning that are most likely to be affected in specific disorders. The ICF categories that will be included in the ICF Core Sets for ADHD will be determined at an ICF Core Set Consensus Conference, wherein evidence from four preliminary studies (a systematic review, an expert survey, a patient and caregiver qualitative study, and a clinical cross-sectional study) will be integrated. Comprehensive and Brief ICF Core Sets for ADHD will be developed with the goal of providing useful standards for research and clinical practice, and to generate a common language for the description of functioning in ADHD in different areas of life and across the lifespan.

  7. Behaviour of Standard Gravity-fed Administration Sets Used for Intravenous Infusion

    PubMed Central

    Flack, F. C.; Whyte, T. D.

    1974-01-01

    The major factor influencing drip rate during intravenous infusion using a standard administration set is the variation in the venous pressure of the patient. Creep in the plastic material, though present, is shown to be unimportant. For steady and accurate infusion it is necessary to provide the ordinary gravity-fed administration set with some form of servo-control mechanism. PMID:4412178

  8. Standard Setting as Psychometric Due Process: Going a Little Further Down an Uncertain Road.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cizek, Gregory J.

    The concept of due process provides an analogy for the process of standard setting that emphasizes many of the procedural and substantive elements of the process over technical and statistical concerns. Surely such concerns can and should continue to be addressed. However, a sound rationale for standard setting does not rest on this foundation.…

  9. Quality standards for rheumatology outpatient clinic. The EXTRELLA project.

    PubMed

    Nolla, Joan M; Martínez, Carmen; García-Vicuña, Rosario; Seoane-Mato, Daniel; Rosario Lozano, M Piedad; Alonso, Alberto; Alperi, Mercedes; Barbazán, Ceferino; Calvo, Jaime; Delgado, Concepción; Fernández-Nebro, Antonio; Mateo, Lourdes; Pérez Sandoval, Trinidad; Pérez Venegas, José; Rodríguez Lozano, Carlos; Rosas, José

    2016-01-01

    In recent years, outpatient clinics have undergone extensive development. At present, patients with rheumatic diseases are mainly assisted in this area. However, the quality standards of care are poorly documented. To develop specific quality criteria and standards for an outpatient rheumatology clinic. The project was based on the two-round Delphi method. The following groups of participants took part: scientific committee (13 rheumatologists), five nominal groups (45 rheumatologists and 12 nurses) and a group of discussion formed by 9 patients. Different drafts were consecutively generated until a final document was obtained that included the standards that received a punctuation equal or over 7 in at least 70% of the participants. 148 standards were developed, grouped into the following 9 dimensions: a) structure (22), b) clinical activity and relationship with the patients (34), c) planning (7), d) levels of priority (5), e) relations with primary care physicians, with Emergency Department and with other clinical departments, f) process (26), g) nursing (13), h) teaching and research (13) and i) activity measures (8). This study established specific quality standards for rheumatology outpatient clinic. It can be a useful tool for organising this area in the Rheumatology Department and as a reference when proposing improvement measures to health administrators. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Reumatología y Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. All rights reserved.

  10. Implementing standard setting into the Conjoint MAFP/FRACGP Part 1 examination - Process and issues.

    PubMed

    Chan, S C; Mohd Amin, S; Lee, T W

    2016-01-01

    The College of General Practitioners of Malaysia and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners held the first Conjoint Member of the College of General Practitioners (MCGP)/Fellow of Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP) examination in 1982, later renamed the Conjoint MAFP/FRACGP examinations. The examination assesses competency for safe independent general practice and as family medicine specialists in Malaysia. Therefore, a defensible standard set pass mark is imperative to separate the competent from the incompetent. This paper discusses the process and issues encountered in implementing standard setting to the Conjoint Part 1 examination. Critical to success in standard setting were judges' understanding of the process of the modified Angoff method, defining the borderline candidate's characteristics and the composition of judges. These were overcome by repeated hands-on training, provision of detailed guidelines and careful selection of judges. In December 2013, 16 judges successfully standard set the Part 1 Conjoint examinations, with high inter-rater reliability: Cronbach's alpha coefficient 0.926 (Applied Knowledge Test), 0.921 (Key Feature Problems).

  11. A Mapmark method of standard setting as implemented for the National Assessment Governing Board.

    PubMed

    Schulz, E Matthew; Mitzel, Howard C

    2011-01-01

    This article describes a Mapmark standard setting procedure, developed under contract with the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB). The procedure enhances the bookmark method with spatially representative item maps, holistic feedback, and an emphasis on independent judgment. A rationale for these enhancements, and the bookmark method, is presented, followed by a detailed description of the materials and procedures used in a meeting to set standards for the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in Grade 12 mathematics. The use of difficulty-ordered content domains to provide holistic feedback is a particularly novel feature of the method. Process evaluation results comparing Mapmark to Anghoff-based methods previously used for NAEP standard setting are also presented.

  12. Standards to Assure Quality in Tertiary Education: The Case of Tanzania

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manyaga, Timothy

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide information on development of standards in Tanzania which may be of help to training providers in other countries as they seek to improve the quality and standards of their provision. Design/methodology/approach: The need to provide quality assured tertiary qualifications in Tanzania to win both…

  13. Crossing the quality chasm in resource-limited settings.

    PubMed

    Maru, Duncan Smith-Rohrberg; Andrews, Jason; Schwarz, Dan; Schwarz, Ryan; Acharya, Bibhav; Ramaiya, Astha; Karelas, Gregory; Rajbhandari, Ruma; Mate, Kedar; Shilpakar, Sona

    2012-11-30

    Over the last decade, extensive scientific and policy innovations have begun to reduce the "quality chasm"--the gulf between best practices and actual implementation that exists in resource-rich medical settings. While limited data exist, this chasm is likely to be equally acute and deadly in resource-limited areas. While health systems have begun to be scaled up in impoverished areas, scale-up is just the foundation necessary to deliver effective healthcare to the poor. This perspective piece describes a vision for a global quality improvement movement in resource-limited areas. The following action items are a first step toward achieving this vision: 1) revise global health investment mechanisms to value quality; 2) enhance human resources for improving health systems quality; 3) scale up data capacity; 4) deepen community accountability and engagement initiatives; 5) implement evidence-based quality improvement programs; 6) develop an implementation science research agenda.

  14. 40 CFR 50.12 - National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for lead.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... air quality standards for lead. 50.12 Section 50.12 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for lead. (a) National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for lead and its compounds, measured as elemental lead by a reference method...

  15. 40 CFR 50.12 - National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for lead.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... air quality standards for lead. 50.12 Section 50.12 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for lead. (a) National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for lead and its compounds, measured as elemental lead by a reference method...

  16. 40 CFR 50.12 - National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for lead.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... air quality standards for lead. 50.12 Section 50.12 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for lead. (a) National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for lead and its compounds, measured as elemental lead by a reference method...

  17. Religiousness affects mental health, pain and quality of life in older people in an outpatient rehabilitation setting.

    PubMed

    Lucchetti, Giancarlo; Lucchetti, Alessandra Granero; Badan-Neto, Antonio M; Peres, Patricia T; Peres, Mario F P; Moreira-Almeida, Alexander; Gomes, Cláudio; Koenig, Harold G

    2011-03-01

    To evaluate the relationship between religiousness and mental health, hospitalization, pain, disability and quality of life in older adults from an outpatient rehabilitation setting in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Cross-sectional study. A total of 110 patients aged 60 years or older were interviewed during attendance at an outpatient rehabilitation service. Researchers administered a standardized questionnaire that assessed socio-demographic data, religiousness, self-reported quality of life, anxiety, physical activity limitation, depression, pain and cognition. Predictors were included in each model analysis, and a backward conditional method was used for variable selection using logistic regression (categorical outcomes) or linear regression (continuous outcomes). Thirty-one patients (28.2%) fulfilled criteria for significant depressive symptoms, 27 (24.5%) for anxiety, and 10 (9.6%) for cognitive impairment. Pain was present in 89 (80.7%) patients. Limited depressive symptoms (as assessed by the Geriatric Depression Scale), and greater self-reported quality of life were related to greater self-reported religiousness, as were scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (less cognitive impairment), and lower ratings of pain. Religiousness is related to significantly less depressive symptoms, better quality of life, less cognitive impairment, and less perceived pain. Clinicians should consider taking a spiritual history and ensuring that spiritual needs are addressed among older patients in rehabilitation settings.

  18. Defining a standard set of patient-centered outcomes for men with localized prostate cancer.

    PubMed

    Martin, Neil E; Massey, Laura; Stowell, Caleb; Bangma, Chris; Briganti, Alberto; Bill-Axelson, Anna; Blute, Michael; Catto, James; Chen, Ronald C; D'Amico, Anthony V; Feick, Günter; Fitzpatrick, John M; Frank, Steven J; Froehner, Michael; Frydenberg, Mark; Glaser, Adam; Graefen, Markus; Hamstra, Daniel; Kibel, Adam; Mendenhall, Nancy; Moretti, Kim; Ramon, Jacob; Roos, Ian; Sandler, Howard; Sullivan, Francis J; Swanson, David; Tewari, Ashutosh; Vickers, Andrew; Wiegel, Thomas; Huland, Hartwig

    2015-03-01

    Value-based health care has been proposed as a unifying force to drive improved outcomes and cost containment. To develop a standard set of multidimensional patient-centered health outcomes for tracking, comparing, and improving localized prostate cancer (PCa) treatment value. We convened an international working group of patients, registry experts, urologists, and radiation oncologists to review existing data and practices. The group defined a recommended standard set representing who should be tracked, what should be measured and at what time points, and what data are necessary to make meaningful comparisons. Using a modified Delphi method over a series of teleconferences, the group reached consensus for the Standard Set. We recommend that the Standard Set apply to men with newly diagnosed localized PCa treated with active surveillance, surgery, radiation, or other methods. The Standard Set includes acute toxicities occurring within 6 mo of treatment as well as patient-reported outcomes tracked regularly out to 10 yr. Patient-reported domains of urinary incontinence and irritation, bowel symptoms, sexual symptoms, and hormonal symptoms are included, and the recommended measurement tool is the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite Short Form. Disease control outcomes include overall, cause-specific, metastasis-free, and biochemical relapse-free survival. Baseline clinical, pathologic, and comorbidity information is included to improve the interpretability of comparisons. We have defined a simple, easily implemented set of outcomes that we believe should be measured in all men with localized PCa as a crucial first step in improving the value of care. Measuring, reporting, and comparing identical outcomes across treatments and treatment centers will provide patients and providers with information to make informed treatment decisions. We defined a set of outcomes that we recommend being tracked for every man being treated for localized prostate cancer. Copyright

  19. 24 CFR 982.621 - Manufactured home: Housing quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Manufactured home: Housing quality... Types Manufactured Home § 982.621 Manufactured home: Housing quality standards. A manufactured home must meet all the HQS performance requirements and acceptability criteria in § 982.401. A manufactured home...

  20. 24 CFR 982.621 - Manufactured home: Housing quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Manufactured home: Housing quality... Types Manufactured Home § 982.621 Manufactured home: Housing quality standards. A manufactured home must meet all the HQS performance requirements and acceptability criteria in § 982.401. A manufactured home...

  1. 24 CFR 982.621 - Manufactured home: Housing quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Manufactured home: Housing quality... Types Manufactured Home § 982.621 Manufactured home: Housing quality standards. A manufactured home must meet all the HQS performance requirements and acceptability criteria in § 982.401. A manufactured home...

  2. 24 CFR 982.621 - Manufactured home: Housing quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Manufactured home: Housing quality... Types Manufactured Home § 982.621 Manufactured home: Housing quality standards. A manufactured home must meet all the HQS performance requirements and acceptability criteria in § 982.401. A manufactured home...

  3. 24 CFR 982.621 - Manufactured home: Housing quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Manufactured home: Housing quality... Types Manufactured Home § 982.621 Manufactured home: Housing quality standards. A manufactured home must meet all the HQS performance requirements and acceptability criteria in § 982.401. A manufactured home...

  4. 40 CFR 50.15 - National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... air quality standards for ozone. 50.15 Section 50.15 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....15 National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone. (a) The level of the national 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone (O3) is 0.075 parts per...

  5. 40 CFR 50.15 - National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... air quality standards for ozone. 50.15 Section 50.15 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....15 National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone. (a) The level of the national 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone (O3) is 0.075 parts per...

  6. 40 CFR 50.15 - National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... air quality standards for ozone. 50.15 Section 50.15 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....15 National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone. (a) The level of the national 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone (O3) is 0.075 parts per...

  7. 40 CFR 50.15 - National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... air quality standards for ozone. 50.15 Section 50.15 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....15 National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone. (a) The level of the national 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone (O3) is 0.075 parts per...

  8. 40 CFR 50.15 - National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... air quality standards for ozone. 50.15 Section 50.15 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....15 National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone. (a) The level of the national 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone (O3) is 0.075 parts per...

  9. 40 CFR 50.16 - National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for lead.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... air quality standards for lead. 50.16 Section 50.16 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for lead. (a) The national primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for lead (Pb) and its compounds are 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter...

  10. [Application of traditional Chinese medicine reference standards in quality control of Chinese herbal pieces].

    PubMed

    Lu, Tu-Lin; Li, Jin-Ci; Yu, Jiang-Yong; Cai, Bao-Chang; Mao, Chun-Qin; Yin, Fang-Zhou

    2014-01-01

    Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) reference standards plays an important role in the quality control of Chinese herbal pieces. This paper overviewed the development of TCM reference standards. By analyzing the 2010 edition of Chinese pharmacopoeia, the application of TCM reference standards in the quality control of Chinese herbal pieces was summarized, and the problems exiting in the system were put forward. In the process of improving the quality control level of Chinese herbal pieces, various kinds of advanced methods and technology should be used to research the characteristic reference standards of Chinese herbal pieces, more and more reasonable reference standards should be introduced in the quality control system of Chinese herbal pieces. This article discussed the solutions in the aspect of TCM reference standards, and future development of quality control on Chinese herbal pieces is prospected.

  11. Standards for Adult Education ESL Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    TESOL Press, 2013

    2013-01-01

    What are the components of a quality education ESL program? TESOL's "Standards for Adult Education ESL Programs" answers this question by defining quality components from a national perspective. Using program indicators in eight distinct areas, the standards can be used to review an existing program or as a guide in setting up a new…

  12. Characterization and optimization of image quality as a function of reconstruction algorithms and parameter settings in a Siemens Inveon small-animal PET scanner using the NEMA NU 4-2008 standards

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Visser, Eric P.; Disselhorst, Jonathan A.; van Lier, Monique G. J. T. B.; Laverman, Peter; de Jong, Gabie M.; Oyen, Wim J. G.; Boerman, Otto C.

    2011-02-01

    The image reconstruction algorithms provided with the Siemens Inveon small-animal PET scanner are filtered backprojection (FBP), 3-dimensional reprojection (3DRP), ordered subset expectation maximization in 2 or 3 dimensions (OSEM2D/3D) and maximum a posteriori (MAP) reconstruction. This study aimed at optimizing the reconstruction parameter settings with regard to image quality (IQ) as defined by the NEMA NU 4-2008 standards. The NEMA NU 4-2008 image quality phantom was used to determine image noise, expressed as percentage standard deviation in the uniform phantom region (%STD unif), activity recovery coefficients for the FDG-filled rods (RC rod), and spill-over ratios for the non-radioactive water- and air-filled phantom compartments (SOR wat and SOR air). Although not required by NEMA NU 4, we also determined a contrast-to-noise ratio for each rod (CNR rod), expressing the trade-off between activity recovery and image noise. For FBP and 3DRP the cut-off frequency of the applied filters, and for OSEM2D and OSEM3D, the number of iterations was varied. For MAP, the "smoothing parameter" β and the type of uniformity constraint (variance or resolution) were varied. Results of these analyses were demonstrated in images of an FDG-injected rat showing tumours in the liver, and of a mouse injected with an 18F-labeled peptide, showing a small subcutaneous tumour and the cortex structure of the kidneys. Optimum IQ in terms of CNR rod for the small-diameter rods was obtained using MAP with uniform variance and β=0.4. This setting led to RC rod,1 mm=0.21, RC rod,2 mm=0.57, %STD unif=1.38, SOR wat=0.0011, and SOR air=0.00086. However, the highest activity recovery for the smallest rods with still very small %STD unif was obtained using β=0.075, for which these IQ parameters were 0.31, 0.74, 2.67, 0.0041, and 0.0030, respectively. The different settings of reconstruction parameters were clearly reflected in the rat and mouse images as the trade-off between the recovery of

  13. Drinking water quality standards and standard tests: Worldwide. (Latest citations from the Food Science and Technology Abstracts database). Published Search

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1993-06-01

    The bibliography contains citations concerning standards and standard tests for water quality in drinking water sources, reservoirs, and distribution systems. Standards from domestic and international sources are presented. Glossaries and vocabularies that concern water quality analysis, testing, and evaluation are included. Standard test methods for individual elements, selected chemicals, sensory properties, radioactivity, and other chemical and physical properties are described. Discussions for proposed standards on new pollutant materials are briefly considered. (Contains a minimum of 203 citations and includes a subject term index and title list.)

  14. Ride quality criteria and the design process. [standards for ride comfort

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ravera, R. J.

    1975-01-01

    Conceptual designs for advanced ground transportation systems often hinge on obtaining acceptable vehicle ride quality while attempting to keep the total guideway cost (initial and subsequent maintenance) as low as possible. Two ride quality standards used extensively in work sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) are the DOT-Urban Tracked Air Cushion Vehicle (UTACV) standard and the International Standards Organization (ISO) reduced ride comfort criteria. These standards are reviewed and some of the deficiencies, which become apparent when trying to apply them in practice, are noted. Through the use of a digital simulation, the impact of each of these standards on an example design process is examined. It is shown that meeting the ISO specification for the particular vehicle/guideway case investigated is easier than meeting the UTACV standard.

  15. A collaborative comparison of objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) standard setting methods at Australian medical schools.

    PubMed

    Malau-Aduli, Bunmi Sherifat; Teague, Peta-Ann; D'Souza, Karen; Heal, Clare; Turner, Richard; Garne, David L; van der Vleuten, Cees

    2017-12-01

    A key issue underpinning the usefulness of the OSCE assessment to medical education is standard setting, but the majority of standard-setting methods remain challenging for performance assessment because they produce varying passing marks. Several studies have compared standard-setting methods; however, most of these studies are limited by their experimental scope, or use data on examinee performance at a single OSCE station or from a single medical school. This collaborative study between 10 Australian medical schools investigated the effect of standard-setting methods on OSCE cut scores and failure rates. This research used 5256 examinee scores from seven shared OSCE stations to calculate cut scores and failure rates using two different compromise standard-setting methods, namely the Borderline Regression and Cohen's methods. The results of this study indicate that Cohen's method yields similar outcomes to the Borderline Regression method, particularly for large examinee cohort sizes. However, with lower examinee numbers on a station, the Borderline Regression method resulted in higher cut scores and larger difference margins in the failure rates. Cohen's method yields similar outcomes as the Borderline Regression method and its application for benchmarking purposes and in resource-limited settings is justifiable, particularly with large examinee numbers.

  16. Quality assurance: Importance of systems and standard operating procedures

    PubMed Central

    Manghani, Kishu

    2011-01-01

    It is mandatory for sponsors of clinical trials and contract research organizations alike to establish, manage and monitor their quality control and quality assurance systems and their integral standard operating procedures and other quality documents to provide high-quality products and services to fully satisfy customer needs and expectations. Quality control and quality assurance systems together constitute the key quality systems. Quality control and quality assurance are parts of quality management. Quality control is focused on fulfilling quality requirements, whereas quality assurance is focused on providing confidence that quality requirements are fulfilled. The quality systems must be commensurate with the Company business objectives and business model. Top management commitment and its active involvement are critical in order to ensure at all times the adequacy, suitability, effectiveness and efficiency of the quality systems. Effective and efficient quality systems can promote timely registration of drugs by eliminating waste and the need for rework with overall financial and social benefits to the Company. PMID:21584180

  17. Quality assurance: Importance of systems and standard operating procedures.

    PubMed

    Manghani, Kishu

    2011-01-01

    It is mandatory for sponsors of clinical trials and contract research organizations alike to establish, manage and monitor their quality control and quality assurance systems and their integral standard operating procedures and other quality documents to provide high-quality products and services to fully satisfy customer needs and expectations. Quality control and quality assurance systems together constitute the key quality systems. Quality control and quality assurance are parts of quality management. Quality control is focused on fulfilling quality requirements, whereas quality assurance is focused on providing confidence that quality requirements are fulfilled. The quality systems must be commensurate with the Company business objectives and business model. Top management commitment and its active involvement are critical in order to ensure at all times the adequacy, suitability, effectiveness and efficiency of the quality systems. Effective and efficient quality systems can promote timely registration of drugs by eliminating waste and the need for rework with overall financial and social benefits to the Company.

  18. Variation in assessment and standard setting practices across UK undergraduate medicine and the need for a benchmark.

    PubMed

    MacDougall, Margaret

    2015-10-31

    The principal aim of this study is to provide an account of variation in UK undergraduate medical assessment styles and corresponding standard setting approaches with a view to highlighting the importance of a UK national licensing exam in recognizing a common standard. Using a secure online survey system, response data were collected during the period 13 - 30 January 2014 from selected specialists in medical education assessment, who served as representatives for their respective medical schools. Assessment styles and corresponding choices of standard setting methods vary markedly across UK medical schools. While there is considerable consensus on the application of compensatory approaches, individual schools display their own nuances through use of hybrid assessment and standard setting styles, uptake of less popular standard setting techniques and divided views on norm referencing. The extent of variation in assessment and standard setting practices across UK medical schools validates the concern that there is a lack of evidence that UK medical students achieve a common standard on graduation. A national licensing exam is therefore a viable option for benchmarking the performance of all UK undergraduate medical students.

  19. 24 CFR 982.614 - Group home: Housing quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Group home: Housing quality... Types Group Home § 982.614 Group home: Housing quality standards. (a) Compliance with HQS. The PHA may not give approval to reside in a group home unless the unit, including the portion of the unit...

  20. 24 CFR 982.614 - Group home: Housing quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Group home: Housing quality... Types Group Home § 982.614 Group home: Housing quality standards. (a) Compliance with HQS. The PHA may not give approval to reside in a group home unless the unit, including the portion of the unit...

  1. 24 CFR 982.614 - Group home: Housing quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Group home: Housing quality... Types Group Home § 982.614 Group home: Housing quality standards. (a) Compliance with HQS. The PHA may not give approval to reside in a group home unless the unit, including the portion of the unit...

  2. 24 CFR 982.614 - Group home: Housing quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Group home: Housing quality... Types Group Home § 982.614 Group home: Housing quality standards. (a) Compliance with HQS. The PHA may not give approval to reside in a group home unless the unit, including the portion of the unit...

  3. 24 CFR 982.614 - Group home: Housing quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Group home: Housing quality... Types Group Home § 982.614 Group home: Housing quality standards. (a) Compliance with HQS. The PHA may not give approval to reside in a group home unless the unit, including the portion of the unit...

  4. An Air Quality Data Analysis System for Interrelating Effects, Standards and Needed Source Reductions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Larsen, Ralph I.

    1973-01-01

    Makes recommendations for a single air quality data system (using average time) for interrelating air pollution effects, air quality standards, air quality monitoring, diffusion calculations, source-reduction calculations, and emission standards. (JR)

  5. International standards for programmes of training in intensive care medicine in Europe.

    PubMed

    2011-03-01

    To develop internationally harmonised standards for programmes of training in intensive care medicine (ICM). Standards were developed by using consensus techniques. A nine-member nominal group of European intensive care experts developed a preliminary set of standards. These were revised and refined through a modified Delphi process involving 28 European national coordinators representing national training organisations using a combination of moderated discussion meetings, email, and a Web-based tool for determining the level of agreement with each proposed standard, and whether the standard could be achieved in the respondent's country. The nominal group developed an initial set of 52 possible standards which underwent four iterations to achieve maximal consensus. All national coordinators approved a final set of 29 standards in four domains: training centres, training programmes, selection of trainees, and trainers' profiles. Only three standards were considered immediately achievable by all countries, demonstrating a willingness to aspire to quality rather than merely setting a minimum level. Nine proposed standards which did not achieve full consensus were identified as potential candidates for future review. This preliminary set of clearly defined and agreed standards provides a transparent framework for assuring the quality of training programmes, and a foundation for international harmonisation and quality improvement of training in ICM.

  6. Standard Specimen Reference Set: Pancreatic — EDRN Public Portal

    Cancer.gov

    The primary objective of the EDRN Pancreatic Cancer Working Group Proposal is to create a reference set consisting of well-characterized serum/plasma specimens to use as a resource for the development of biomarkers for the early detection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The testing of biomarkers on the same sample set permits direct comparison among them; thereby, allowing the development of a biomarker panel that can be evaluated in a future validation study. Additionally, the establishment of an infrastructure with core data elements and standardized operating procedures for specimen collection, processing and storage, will provide the necessary preparatory platform for larger validation studies when the appropriate marker/panel for pancreatic adenocarcinoma has been identified.

  7. Implementation of quality management for clinical bacteriology in low-resource settings.

    PubMed

    Barbé, B; Yansouni, C P; Affolabi, D; Jacobs, J

    2017-07-01

    The declining trend of malaria and the recent prioritization of containment of antimicrobial resistance have created a momentum to implement clinical bacteriology in low-resource settings. Successful implementation relies on guidance by a quality management system (QMS). Over the past decade international initiatives were launched towards implementation of QMS in HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. To describe the progress towards accreditation of medical laboratories and to identify the challenges and best practices for implementation of QMS in clinical bacteriology in low-resource settings. Published literature, online reports and websites related to the implementation of laboratory QMS, accreditation of medical laboratories and initiatives for containment of antimicrobial resistance. Apart from the limitations of infrastructure, equipment, consumables and staff, QMS are challenged with the complexity of clinical bacteriology and the healthcare context in low-resource settings (small-scale laboratories, attitudes and perception of staff, absence of laboratory information systems). Likewise, most international initiatives addressing laboratory health strengthening have focused on public health and outbreak management rather than on hospital based patient care. Best practices to implement quality-assured clinical bacteriology in low-resource settings include alignment with national regulations and public health reference laboratories, participating in external quality assurance programmes, support from the hospital's management, starting with attainable projects, conducting error review and daily bench-side supervision, looking for locally adapted solutions, stimulating ownership and extending existing training programmes to clinical bacteriology. The implementation of QMS in clinical bacteriology in hospital settings will ultimately boost a culture of quality to all sectors of healthcare in low-resource settings. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by

  8. High quality Gaussian basis sets for fourth-row atoms

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Partridge, Harry; Faegri, Knut, Jr.

    1992-01-01

    Energy optimized Gaussian basis sets of triple-zeta quality for the atoms Rb-Xe have been derived. Two series of basis sets are developed: (24s 16p 10d) and (26s 16p 10d) sets which were expanded to 13d and 19p functions as the 4d and 5p shells become occupied. For the atoms lighter than Cd, the (24s 16p 10d) sets with triple-zeta valence distributions are higher in energy than the corresponding double-zeta distribution. To ensure a triple-zeta distribution and a global energy minimum, the (26s 16p 10d) sets were derived. Total atomic energies from the largest basis sets are between 198 and 284 (mu)E(sub H) above the numerical Hartree-Fock energies.

  9. A Microfluidic Immunostaining System Enables Quality Assured and Standardized Immunohistochemical Biomarker Analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kwon, Seyong; Cho, Chang Hyun; Kwon, Youngmee; Lee, Eun Sook; Park, Je-Kyun

    2017-04-01

    Immunohistochemistry (IHC) plays an important role in biomarker-driven cancer therapy. Although there has been a high demand for standardized and quality assured IHC, it has rarely been achieved due to the complexity of IHC testing and the subjective validation-based process flow of IHC quality control. We present here a microfluidic immunostaining system for the standardization of IHC by creating a microfluidic linearly graded antibody (Ab)-staining device and a reference cell microarray. Unlike conventional efforts, our system deals primarily with the screening of biomarker staining conditions for quantitative quality assurance testing in IHC. We characterized the microfluidic matching of Ab staining intensity using three HER2 Abs produced by different manufacturers. The quality of HER2 Ab was also validated using tissues of breast cancer patients, demonstrating that our system is an efficient and powerful tool for the standardization and quality assurance of IHC.

  10. Standards and Quality in Higher Education. Higher Education Policy Series 37.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brennan, John, Ed.; de Vries, Peter, Ed.; Williams, Ruth, Ed.

    The papers in this book reflect current debates on academic standards and quality assurance, and speak from the perspective of institutional leaders and national quality bodies and higher education researchers. Included are reports on the progress of several international quality initiatives and studies on the impact of external quality assurance…

  11. Baseline Assessment of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Reference Material and Proficiency Testing/External Quality Assurance Material Commutability: A Vitamin D Standardization Program Study.

    PubMed

    Phinney, Karen W; Sempos, Christopher T; Tai, Susan S-C; Camara, Johanna E; Wise, Stephen A; Eckfeldt, John H; Hoofnagle, Andrew N; Carter, Graham D; Jones, Julia; Myers, Gary L; Durazo-Arvizu, Ramon; Miller, W Greg; Bachmann, Lorin M; Young, Ian S; Pettit, Juanita; Caldwell, Grahame; Liu, Andrew; Brooks, Stephen P J; Sarafin, Kurtis; Thamm, Michael; Mensink, Gert B M; Busch, Markus; Rabenberg, Martina; Cashman, Kevin D; Kiely, Mairead; Galvin, Karen; Zhang, Joy Y; Kinsella, Michael; Oh, Kyungwon; Lee, Sun-Wha; Jung, Chae L; Cox, Lorna; Goldberg, Gail; Guberg, Kate; Meadows, Sarah; Prentice, Ann; Tian, Lu; Brannon, Patsy M; Lucas, Robyn M; Crump, Peter M; Cavalier, Etienne; Merkel, Joyce; Betz, Joseph M

    2017-09-01

    The Vitamin D Standardization Program (VDSP) coordinated a study in 2012 to assess the commutability of reference materials and proficiency testing/external quality assurance materials for total 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in human serum, the primary indicator of vitamin D status. A set of 50 single-donor serum samples as well as 17 reference and proficiency testing/external quality assessment materials were analyzed by participating laboratories that used either immunoassay or LC-MS methods for total 25(OH)D. The commutability test materials included National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Material 972a Vitamin D Metabolites in Human Serum as well as materials from the College of American Pathologists and the Vitamin D External Quality Assessment Scheme. Study protocols and data analysis procedures were in accordance with Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. The majority of the test materials were found to be commutable with the methods used in this commutability study. These results provide guidance for laboratories needing to choose appropriate reference materials and select proficiency or external quality assessment programs and will serve as a foundation for additional VDSP studies.

  12. 40 CFR 131.21 - EPA review and approval of water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... Act remains the applicable standard until EPA approves a change, deletion, or addition to that water... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false EPA review and approval of water... (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS WATER QUALITY STANDARDS Procedures for Review and Revision of Water Quality...

  13. 40 CFR 131.21 - EPA review and approval of water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... Act remains the applicable standard until EPA approves a change, deletion, or addition to that water... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2014-07-01 2013-07-01 true EPA review and approval of water... (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS WATER QUALITY STANDARDS Procedures for Review and Revision of Water Quality...

  14. 40 CFR 131.21 - EPA review and approval of water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... Act remains the applicable standard until EPA approves a change, deletion, or addition to that water... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false EPA review and approval of water... (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS WATER QUALITY STANDARDS Procedures for Review and Revision of Water Quality...

  15. 40 CFR 131.21 - EPA review and approval of water quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Act remains the applicable standard until EPA approves a change, deletion, or addition to that water... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false EPA review and approval of water... (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS WATER QUALITY STANDARDS Procedures for Review and Revision of Water Quality...

  16. A Study on Students' Satisfaction Based on Quality Standards of Accreditation in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Neelaveni, C.; Manimaran S.

    2015-01-01

    Quality standards are evaluated by the Higher Educational Institutions by self evaluation at different levels and are also assessed by external agencies. Application of quality standards in administrative practices have been associated with the quality of higher education. To improve the quality of administrative practices, evaluation scales are…

  17. Variation in assessment and standard setting practices across UK undergraduate medicine and the need for a benchmark

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Objectives The principal aim of this study is to provide an account of variation in UK undergraduate medical assessment styles and corresponding standard setting approaches with a view to highlighting the importance of a UK national licensing exam in recognizing a common standard. Methods Using a secure online survey system, response data were collected during the period 13 - 30 January 2014 from selected specialists in medical education assessment, who served as representatives for their respective medical schools. Results Assessment styles and corresponding choices of standard setting methods vary markedly across UK medical schools. While there is considerable consensus on the application of compensatory approaches, individual schools display their own nuances through use of hybrid assessment and standard setting styles, uptake of less popular standard setting techniques and divided views on norm referencing. Conclusions The extent of variation in assessment and standard setting practices across UK medical schools validates the concern that there is a lack of evidence that UK medical students achieve a common standard on graduation. A national licensing exam is therefore a viable option for benchmarking the performance of all UK undergraduate medical students. PMID:26520472

  18. A comparative analysis of quality management standards for contract research organisations in clinical trials.

    PubMed

    Murray, Elizabeth; McAdam, Rodney

    2007-01-01

    This article compares and contrasts the main quality standards in the highly regulated pharmaceutical industry with specific focus on Good Clinical Practice (GCP), the standard for designing, conducting, recording and reporting clinical trials involving human participants. Comparison is made to ISO quality standards, which can be applied to all industries and types of organisation. The study is then narrowed to that of contract research organisations (CROs) involved in the conduct of clinical trials. The paper concludes that the ISO 9000 series of quality standards can act as a company-wide framework for quality management within such organisations by helping to direct quality efforts on a long-term basis without any loss of compliance. This study is valuable because comparative analysis in this domain is uncommon.

  19. 42 CFR 440.260 - Methods and standards to assure quality of services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Methods and standards to assure quality of services. 440.260 Section 440.260 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH... and Limits Applicable to All Services § 440.260 Methods and standards to assure quality of services...

  20. The Quality Adaptation Model: Adaptation and Adoption of the Quality Standard ISO/IEC 19796-1 for Learning, Education, and Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pawlowski, Jan M.

    2007-01-01

    In 2005, the new quality standard for learning, education, and training, ISO/IEC 19796-1, was published. Its purpose is to help educational organizations to develop quality systems and to improve the quality of their processes, products, and services. In this article, the standard is presented and compared to existing approaches, showing the…

  1. [Study on quality standard of Mucuna pruriens var. utilis].

    PubMed

    Wu, Shi-Hong; Jiang, Wei-Zhe; Lv, Li; Wu, Ling-Ling; Lv, Cong; Shi, Xiao-Xia; Su, Gui-Liang

    2009-03-01

    To provide scientific basis for the utilization and development of Mucuna pruriens var. utilis by establishing its quality control standard. The bioactive constituents were analyzed by TLC and HPLC. Moisture, ash and the extracts of Mucuna pruriens var. utilis were all determined. The TLC spots of levodopa had similar color with the control group at the same position. The results of HPLC quantitative analysis showed that the linear range of levodopa was 26.45 to approximately 132.25 microg/mL, r = 0.9992, and the average recovery rate was 103.8%, RSD = 1.85%. This method is convenient, accurate, reliable with good reproducibility, so it can be used to establish quality standard for the medicinal material.

  2. Variables that Predict Serve Efficacy in Elite Men’s Volleyball with Different Quality of Opposition Sets

    PubMed Central

    Valhondo, Álvaro; Fernández-Echeverría, Carmen; González-Silva, Jara; Claver, Fernando; Moreno, M. Perla

    2018-01-01

    Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the variables that predicted serve efficacy in elite men’s volleyball, in sets with different quality of opposition. 3292 serve actions were analysed, of which 2254 were carried out in high quality of opposition sets and 1038 actions were in low quality of opposition sets, corresponding to a total of 24 matches played during the Men’s European Volleyball Championships held in 2011. The independent variables considered in this study were the serve zone, serve type, serving player, serve direction, reception zone, receiving player and reception type; the dependent variable was serve efficacy and the situational variable was quality of opposition sets. The variables that acted as predictors in both high and low quality of opposition sets were the serving player, reception zone and reception type. The serve type variable only acted as a predictor in high quality of opposition sets, while the serve zone variable only acted as a predictor in low quality of opposition sets. These results may provide important guidance in men’s volleyball training processes. PMID:29599869

  3. Voluntary Online-Teaching Standards Come Amid Concerns over Quality

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trotter, Andrew

    2008-01-01

    As learning over the Internet grows in both popularity and controversy, experts are hoping that a new set of national standards for online teaching may help bring clarity and credibility to an industry that some analysts say sorely needs both. The voluntary standards, released February 21 by the North American Council for Online Learning, or…

  4. 75 FR 71033 - Air Quality Designations for the 2008 Lead (Pb) National Ambient Air Quality Standards

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-22

    .... These include damage to the central nervous system, cardiovascular function, kidneys, immune system, and... growth); (5) Meteorology (weather/transport patterns); (6) Geography/topography (mountain ranges or other... Air Quality Designations for the 2008 Lead (Pb) National Ambient Air Quality Standards AGENCY...

  5. 42 CFR 493.1239 - Standard: General laboratory systems quality assessment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Standard: General laboratory systems quality... for Nonwaived Testing General Laboratory Systems § 493.1239 Standard: General laboratory systems... laboratory systems requirements specified at §§ 493.1231 through 493.1236. (b) The general laboratory systems...

  6. [Study thought of pharmaceutical preparations quality standards by dynamic quality control technology].

    PubMed

    Yu, Dan-Hong; Mao, Chen-Mei; Lv, Cheng-Zhe; Jin, Hui-Zhen; Yao, Xin; Jia, Xiao-Bin

    2014-07-01

    Pharmaceutical preparations, particularly as a "secret recipe" of traditional Chinese medicine in medical institutions, are the product of China's medical and health industry, and they are also an important means of competing of different medical institutions. Although pharmaceutical preparations have advantages and characteristics than institutes for drug and pharmaceutical companies, the quality standards of pharmaceutical preparations in medical institutions has not reached the desired level over the years. As we all know, the quality of pharmaceutical preparations is important to ensure the efficacy, especially under the environment of people pay more sttention on drug safety and effectiveness and contry increase emphasis on the stste of pharmaceutical preparations. In view of this, we will improve the grade, stability, and clinical efficacy of pharmaceutical preparations by the advanced equipment, testing instruments and the process dynamic quality control technology. Finally, we hope we can provide new ideas for the quality control of pharmaceutical preparations.

  7. Measurement of Health Care Quality in Atopic Dermatitis - Development and Application of a Set of Quality Indicators.

    PubMed

    Steinke, S; Beikert, F C; Langenbruch, A; Fölster-Holst, R; Ring, J; Schmitt, J; Werfel, T; Hintzen, S; Franzke, N; Augustin, M

    2018-05-15

    Quality indicators are essential tools for the assessment of health care, in particular for guideline-based procedures. 1) Development of a set of indicators for the evaluation of process and outcomes quality in atopic dermatitis (AD) care. 2) Application of the indicators to a cross-sectional study and creation of a global process quality index. An expert committee consisting of 10 members of the German guideline group on atopic dermatitis condensed potential quality indicators to a final set of 5 outcomes quality and 12 process quality indicators using a Delphi panel. The outcomes quality and 7 resp. 8 process quality indicators were retrospectively applied to a nationwide study on 1,678 patients with atopic dermatitis (AtopicHealth). Each individual process quality indicator score was then summed up to a global index (ranges from 0 (no quality achieved) to 100 (full quality achieved)) displaying the quality of health care. In total, the global process quality index revealed a median value of 62.5 and did not or only slightly correlate to outcome indicators as the median SCORAD (SCORing Atopic Dermatitis; rp =0.08), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI; rp = 0.256), and Patient Benefit Index (PBI; rp = -0.151). Process quality of AD care is moderate to good. The health care process quality index does not substantially correlate to the health status of AD patients measured by 5 different outcomes quality indicators. Further research should include the investigation of reliability, responsiveness, and feasibility of the proposed quality indicators for AD. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  8. Setting new standards in MEMS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rimskog, Magnus; O'Loughlin, Brian J.

    2007-02-01

    Silex Microsystems handles a wide range of customized MEMS components. This speech will be describing Silex's MEMS foundry work model for providing customized solutions based on MEMS in a cost effective and well controlled manner. Factors for success are the capabilities to reformulate a customer product concept to manufacturing processes in the wafer fab, using standard process modules and production equipment. A well-controlled system increases the likelihood of a first batch success and enables fast ramp-up into volume production. The following success factors can be listed: strong enduring relationships with the customers; highly qualified well-experienced specialists working close with the customer; process solutions and building blocks ready to use out of a library; addressing manufacturing issues in the early design phase; in-house know how to meet demands for volume manufacturing; access to a wafer fab with high capacity, good organization, high availability of equipment, and short lead times; process development done in the manufacturing environment using production equipment for easy ramp-up to volume production. The article covers a method of working to address these factors: to have a long and enduring relationships with customers utilizing MEMS expertise and working close with customers, to translate their product ideas to MEMS components; to have stable process solutions for features such as Low ohmic vias, Spiked electrodes, Cantilevers, Silicon optical mirrors, Micro needles, etc, which can be used and modified for the customer needs; to use a structured development and design methodology in order to handle hundreds of process modules, and setting up standard run sheets. It is also very important to do real time process development in the manufacturing line. It minimizes the lead-time for the ramp-up of production; to have access to a state of the art Wafer Fab which is well organized, controlled and flexible, with high capacity and short lead

  9. Quality indicators for pharmaceutical care: a comprehensive set with national scores for Dutch community pharmacies.

    PubMed

    Teichert, Martina; Schoenmakers, Tim; Kylstra, Nico; Mosk, Berend; Bouvy, Marcel L; van de Vaart, Frans; De Smet, Peter A G M; Wensing, Michel

    2016-08-01

    Background The quality of pharmaceutical care in community pharmacies in the Netherlands has been assessed annually since 2008. The initial set has been further developed with pharmacists and patient organizations, the healthcare inspectorate, the government and health insurance companies. The set over 2012 was the first set of quality indicators for community pharmacies which was validated and supported by all major stakeholders. The aims of this study were to describe the validated set of quality indicators for community pharmacies and to report their scores over 2012. In subanalyses the score development over 5 years was described for those indicators, that have been surveyed before and remained unchanged. Methods Community pharmacists in the Netherlands were invited in 2013 to provide information for the set of 2012. Quality indicators were mapped by categories relevant for pharmaceutical care and defined for structures, processes and dispensing outcomes. Scores for categorically-measured quality indicators were presented as the percentage of pharmacies reporting the presence of a quality aspect. For numerical quality indicators, the mean of all reported scores was expressed. In subanalyses for those indicators that had been questioned previously, scores were collected from earlier measurements for pharmacies providing their scores in 2012. Multilevel analysis was used to assess the consistency of scores within one pharmacy over time by the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Results For the set in 2012, 1739 Dutch community pharmacies (88 % of the total) provided information for 66 quality indicators in 10 categories. Indicator scores on the presence of quality structures showed relatively high quality levels. Scores for processes and dispensing outcomes were lower. Subanalyses showed that overall indicators scores improved within pharmacies, but this development differed between pharmacies. Conclusions A set of validated quality indicators provided

  10. 77 FR 4698 - Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedure and Energy Conservation Standard for Set-Top Boxes...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-31

    ... Conservation Program: Test Procedure and Energy Conservation Standard for Set-Top Boxes and Network Equipment... comments on the request for information pertaining to the development of test procedures and energy conservation standards for set-top boxes and network equipment. The comment period is extended to March 15...

  11. Setting the Standards.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ryan, Ellen

    1994-01-01

    New Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) standards for college and university fund raising establish three key rules for campaign reporting: (1) separation of gifts for featured and unspecified objectives; (2) separation of current from deferred gifts; and (3) disclosure of both face value and discounted present value of…

  12. A cross-platform survey of CT image quality and dose from routine abdomen protocols and a method to systematically standardize image quality

    PubMed Central

    Favazza, Christopher P.; Duan, Xinhui; Zhang, Yi; Yu, Lifeng; Leng, Shuai; Kofler, James M.; Bruesewitz, Michael R.; McCollough, Cynthia H.

    2015-01-01

    Through this investigation we developed a methodology to evaluate and standardize CT image quality from routine abdomen protocols across different manufacturers and models. The influence of manufacturer-specific automated exposure control systems on image quality was directly assessed to standardize performance across a range of patient sizes. We evaluated 16 CT scanners across our health system, including Siemens, GE, and Toshiba models. Using each practice’s routine abdomen protocol, we measured spatial resolution, image noise, and scanner radiation output (CTDIvol). Axial and in-plane spatial resolutions were assessed through slice sensitivity profile (SSP) and modulation transfer function (MTF) measurements, respectively. Image noise and CTDIvol values were obtained for three different phantom sizes. SSP measurements demonstrated a bimodal distribution in slice widths: an average of 6.2 ± 0.2 mm using GE’s “Plus” mode reconstruction setting and 5.0 ± 0.1 mm for all other scanners. MTF curves were similar for all scanners. Average spatial frequencies at 50%, 10%, and 2% MTF values were 3.24 ± 0.37, 6.20 ± 0.34, and 7.84 ± 0.70 lp/cm, respectively. For all phantom sizes, image noise and CTDIvol varied considerably: 6.5–13.3 HU (noise) and 4.8–13.3 mGy (CTDIvol) for the smallest phantom; 9.1–18.4 HU and 9.3–28.8 mGy for the medium phantom; and 7.8–23.4 HU and 16.0–48.1 mGy for the largest phantom. Using these measurements and benchmark SSP, MTF, and image noise targets, CT image quality can be standardized across a range of patient sizes. PMID:26459751

  13. Self-reinforcement effects: An artifact of social standard setting?

    PubMed Central

    Hayes, Steven C.; Rosenfarb, Irwin; Wulfert, Edelgard; Munt, Edwin D.; Korn, Zamir; Zettle, Robert D.

    1985-01-01

    Two studies were conducted to identify mechanisms responsible for observed “self-reinforcement” effects. In Experiment 1, using a studying task, self-reinforcement procedures did not work when they were private (i.e., when others are not aware of the goals or contingencies), but did work when they were public. Self-delivery of consequences added nothing to the effectiveness of the procedure. The data suggested that public goal setting was the critical element in the procedure's effectiveness. In Experiment 2, an applied extension, goal setting alone was effective in modifying over a long time period studying behaviors of people with significant studying difficulties, but only when the goals were known to others. Overall, the two experiments make more plausible the view that self-reinforcement procedures work by setting a socially available standard against which performance can be evaluated. The procedure itself functions as a discriminative stimulus for stringent or lenient social contingencies. The application of this mechanism to other problems of applied significance is briefly discussed. PMID:16795688

  14. Consistency of Standard Setting in an Augmented State Testing System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lissitz, Robert W.; Wei, Hua

    2008-01-01

    In this article we address the issue of consistency in standard setting in the context of an augmented state testing program. Information gained from the external NRT scores is used to help make an informed decision on the determination of cut scores on the state test. The consistency of cut scores on the CRT across grades is maintained by forcing…

  15. The Bookmark Procedure for Setting Cut-Scores and Finalizing Performance Standards: Strengths and Weaknesses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Jie

    2006-01-01

    The Bookmark standard-setting procedure was developed to address the perceived problems with the most popular method for setting cut-scores: the Angoff procedure (Angoff, 1971). The purposes of this article are to review the Bookmark procedure and evaluate it in terms of Berk's (1986) criteria for evaluating cut-score setting methods. The…

  16. 75 FR 2013 - Health Information Technology: Initial Set of Standards, Implementation Specifications, and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-13

    ...The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is issuing this interim final rule with a request for comments to adopt an initial set of standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria, as required by section 3004(b)(1) of the Public Health Service Act. This interim final rule represents the first step in an incremental approach to adopting standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria to enhance the interoperability, functionality, utility, and security of health information technology and to support its meaningful use. The certification criteria adopted in this initial set establish the capabilities and related standards that certified electronic health record (EHR) technology will need to include in order to, at a minimum, support the achievement of the proposed meaningful use Stage 1 (beginning in 2011) by eligible professionals and eligible hospitals under the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.

  17. Generating a comprehensive set of standard operating procedures for a biorepository network-The CTRNet experience.

    PubMed

    Barnes, Rebecca; Albert, Monique; Damaraju, Sambasivarao; de Sousa-Hitzler, Jean; Kodeeswaran, Sugy; Mes-Masson, Anne-Marie; Watson, Peter; Schacter, Brent

    2013-12-01

    Despite the integral role of biorepositories in fueling translational research and the advancement of medicine, there are significant gaps in harmonization of biobanking practices, resulting in variable biospecimen collection, storage, and processing. This significantly impacts accurate downstream analysis and, in particular, creates a problem for biorepository networks or consortia. The Canadian Tumour Repository Network (CTRNet; www.ctrnet.ca ) is a consortium of Canadian tumor biorepositories that aims to enhance biobanking capacity and quality through standardization. To minimize the issue of variable biobanking practices throughout its network, CTRNet has developed and maintained a comprehensive set of 45 standard operating procedures (SOPs). There were four key elements to the CTRNet SOP development process: 1) an SOP development team was formed from members across CTRNet to co-produce each SOP; 2) a principal author was appointed with responsibility for overall coordination of the SOP development process; 3) the CTRNet Management Committee (composed of principal investigators for each member biorepository) reviewed/revised each SOP completed by the development team; and 4) external expert reviewers provided feedback and recommendations on each SOP. Once final Management Committee approval was obtained, the ratified SOP was published on the CTRNet website for public access. Since the SOPs were first published on the CTRNet website (June 2008), there have been approximately 15,000 downloads of one or more CTRNet SOPs/Policies by users from over 60 countries. In accordance with biobanking best practices, CTRNet performs an exhaustive review of its SOPs at set intervals, to coincide with each granting cycle. The last revision was completed in May 2012.

  18. 78 FR 34964 - Implementation of the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: State Implementation...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-11

    ...] Implementation of the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: State Implementation Plan... Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: State Implementation Plan Requirements'' which published in the... the 2008 ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) (the ``2008 ozone NAAQS'') that were...

  19. Standardized quality-assessment system to evaluate pressure ulcer care in the nursing home.

    PubMed

    Bates-Jensen, Barbara M; Cadogan, Mary; Jorge, Jennifer; Schnelle, John F

    2003-09-01

    To demonstrate reliability and feasibility of a standardized protocol to assess and score quality indicators relevant to pressure ulcer (PU) care processes in nursing homes (NHs). Descriptive. Eight NHs. One hundred ninety-one NH residents for whom the PU Resident Assessment Protocol of the Minimum Data Set was initiated. Nine quality indicators (two related to screening and prevention of PU, two focused on assessment, and five addressing management) were scored using medical record data, direct human observation, and wireless thigh monitor observation data. Feasibility and reliability of medical record, observation, and thigh monitor protocols were determined. The percentage of participants who passed each of the indicators, indicating care consistent with practice guidelines, ranged from 0% to 98% across all indicators. In general, participants in NHs passed fewer indicators and had more problems with medical record accuracy before a PU was detected (screening/prevention indicators) than they did once an ulcer was documented (assessment and management indicators). Reliability of the medical record protocol showed kappa statistics ranging from 0.689 to 1.00 and percentage agreement from 80% to 100%. Direct observation protocols yielded kappa statistics of 0.979 and 0.928. Thigh monitor protocols showed kappa statistics ranging from 0.609 to 0.842. Training was variable, with the observation protocol requiring 1 to 2 hours, medical records requiring joint review of 20 charts with average time to complete the review of 20 minutes, and the thigh monitor data requiring 1 week for training in data preparation and interpretation. The standardized quality assessment system generated scores for nine PU quality indicators with good reliability and provided explicit scoring rules that permit reproducible conclusions about PU care. The focus of the indicators on care processes that are under the control of NH staff made the protocol useful for external survey and internal

  20. Using SWAT to enhance watershed-based plans to meet numeric water quality standards

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The number of states that have adopted numeric nutrient water-quality standards has increased to 23, up from ten in 1998. One state with both stream and reservoir phosphorus (P) numeric water-quality standards is Oklahoma. There were two primary objectives of this research: (1) determine if Oklaho...

  1. Impact of proposed Washington State water quality standards on Hanford

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Corley, J.P.; Selby, J.M.

    1967-11-03

    The proposed regulation relating to Water Quality Standards for Interstate and Coastal Waters of the State of Washington contains eight standards. Standards are established for Total Coliform Organisms, Dissolved Oxygen, Temperature, Radioactivity, pH, Turbidity, Toxic or Deleterious Material, and Aesthetic Values. The Columbia River from the Washington-Oregon border to Priest Rapids is designated as class A water. Additionally, special temperature requirements are defined for this reach of the river. This report reviews the measured and projected conditions in this reach of the river in relation to these standards. 4 figs.

  2. [Study on quality standard of Sophora flavescens root extract].

    PubMed

    Zhao, Feng-chun; Li, Hao; Chen, Liang-mian; Gao, Hui-min; Zhang, Qi-wei; Wang, Zhi-min; Wu, Pi-e

    2015-01-01

    As a part of the project for the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015 edition), the quality standard of Sophora flavescens root extract was investigated and established. According to the methods described in the Appendix of Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010 edition), the water and ash inspections were carried out. The marker components trifolirhizin, sophoraflavanone G, oxymatrine and oxysophocarpine in the samples were identified by qualitative TLC. The determination of oxymatrine, matrine, oxysophocarpine and sophocarpine was conducted by HPLC and the total flavonoids were measured by ultraviolet spectrophotometry, using sophoraflavanone G as reference substance. The results indicated the spots on the plate were clear with good resolution and the contents of oxymatrine, matrine, oxysophocarpine and sophocarpine in the 13 batches of the samples were 3.87% - 11.1%, 0.970% - 4.33%, 1.30% - 2.59% and 0.260% - 1.14%, respectively. The total flavoids in the 13 batches of the samples were 3.88% - 7.93%. In the study, the validated methods were reproducible and the established quality standard was feasible, which could be used for the quality control of S. flavescens root extract and related preparations.

  3. Multisite Evaluation of a Data Quality Tool for Patient-Level Clinical Data Sets

    PubMed Central

    Huser, Vojtech; DeFalco, Frank J.; Schuemie, Martijn; Ryan, Patrick B.; Shang, Ning; Velez, Mark; Park, Rae Woong; Boyce, Richard D.; Duke, Jon; Khare, Ritu; Utidjian, Levon; Bailey, Charles

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: Data quality and fitness for analysis are crucial if outputs of analyses of electronic health record data or administrative claims data should be trusted by the public and the research community. Methods: We describe a data quality analysis tool (called Achilles Heel) developed by the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics Collaborative (OHDSI) and compare outputs from this tool as it was applied to 24 large healthcare datasets across seven different organizations. Results: We highlight 12 data quality rules that identified issues in at least 10 of the 24 datasets and provide a full set of 71 rules identified in at least one dataset. Achilles Heel is a freely available software that provides a useful starter set of data quality rules with the ability to add additional rules. We also present results of a structured email-based interview of all participating sites that collected qualitative comments about the value of Achilles Heel for data quality evaluation. Discussion: Our analysis represents the first comparison of outputs from a data quality tool that implements a fixed (but extensible) set of data quality rules. Thanks to a common data model, we were able to compare quickly multiple datasets originating from several countries in America, Europe and Asia. PMID:28154833

  4. National BTS bronchiectasis audit 2012: is the quality standard being adhered to in adult secondary care?

    PubMed

    Hill, Adam T; Routh, Chris; Welham, Sally

    2014-03-01

    A significant step towards improving care of patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis was the creation of the British Thoracic Society (BTS) national guidelines and the quality standard. A BTS bronchiectasis audit was conducted between 1 October and 30 November 2012, in adult patients with bronchiectasis attending secondary care, against the BTS quality standard. Ninety-eight institutions took part, submitting a total of 3147 patient records. The audit highlighted the variable adoption of the quality standard. It will allow the host institutions to benchmark against UK figures and drive quality improvement programmes to promote the quality standard and improve patient care.

  5. Setting quality and safety priorities in a target-rich environment: an academic medical center's challenge.

    PubMed

    Mort, Elizabeth A; Demehin, Akinluwa A; Marple, Keith B; McCullough, Kathryn Y; Meyer, Gregg S

    2013-08-01

    Hospitals are continually challenged to provide safer and higher-quality patient care despite resource constraints. With an ever-increasing range of quality and safety targets at the national, state, and local levels, prioritization is crucial in effective institutional quality goal setting and resource allocation.Organizational goal-setting theory is a performance improvement methodology with strong results across many industries. The authors describe a structured goal-setting process they have established at Massachusetts General Hospital for setting annual institutional quality and safety goals. Begun in 2008, this process has been conducted on an annual basis. Quality and safety data are gathered from many sources, both internal and external to the hospital. These data are collated and classified, and multiple approaches are used to identify the most pressing quality issues facing the institution. The conclusions are subject to stringent internal review, and then the top quality goals of the institution are chosen. Specific tactical initiatives and executive owners are assigned to each goal, and metrics are selected to track performance. A reporting tool based on these tactics and metrics is used to deliver progress updates to senior hospital leadership.The hospital has experienced excellent results and strong organizational buy-in using this effective, low-cost, and replicable goal-setting process. It has led to improvements in structural, process, and outcomes aspects of quality.

  6. A process for developing standards to promote quality in general practice.

    PubMed

    Khoury, Julie; Krejany, Catherine J; Versteeg, Roald W; Lodewyckx, Michaela A; Pike, Simone R; Civil, Michael S; Jiwa, Moyez

    2018-06-02

    Since 1991, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners' (RACGP) Standards for General Practices (the Standards) have provided a framework for quality care, risk management and best practice in the operation of Australian general practices. The Standards are also linked to incentives for general practice remuneration. These Standards were revised in 2017. The objective of this study is to describe the process undertaken to develop the fifth edition Standards published in 2017 to inform future standards development both nationally and internationally. A modified Delphi process was deployed to develop the fifth edition Standards. Development was directed by the RACGP and led by an expert panel of GPs and representatives of stakeholder groups who were assisted and facilitated by a team from RACGP. Each draft was released for stakeholder feedback and tested twice before the final version was submitted for approval by the RACGP board. Four rounds of consultation and two rounds of piloting were carried out over 32 months. The Standards were redrafted after each round. One hundred and fifty-two individuals and 225 stakeholder groups participated in the development of the Standards. Twenty-three new indicators were recommended and grouped into three sections in a new modular structure that was different from the previous edition. The Standards represent the consensus view of national stakeholders on the indicators of quality and safety in Australian general practice and primary care.

  7. MUSQA: a CS method to build a multi-standard quality management system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cros, Elizabeth; Sneed, Isabelle

    2002-07-01

    CS Communication & Systèmes, through its long quality management experience, has been able to build and evolve its Quality Management System according to clients requirements, norms, standards and models (ISO, DO178, ECSS, CMM, ...), evolving norms (transition from ISO 9001:1994 to ISO 9001:2000) and the TQM approach, being currently deployed. The aim of this paper is to show how, from this enriching and instructive experience, CS has defined and formalised its method: MuSQA (Multi-Standard Quality Approach). This method allows to built a new Quality Management System or simplify and unify an existing one. MuSQA objective is to provide any organisation with an open Quality Management System, which is able to evolve easily and turns to be a useful instrument for everyone, operational as well as non-operational staff.

  8. Learning Disabilities and Achieving High-Quality Education Standards

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gartland, Debi; Strosnider, Roberta

    2017-01-01

    This is an official document of the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (NJCLD), of which Council for Learning Disabilities is a long-standing, active member. With this position paper, NJCLD advocates for the implementation of high-quality education standards (HQES) for students with learning disabilities (LD) and outlines the…

  9. 40 CFR 50.10 - National 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... ambient air quality standards for ozone. 50.10 Section 50.10 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....10 National 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone. (a) The level of the national 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone, measured by a...

  10. 40 CFR 50.9 - National 1-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... ambient air quality standards for ozone. 50.9 Section 50.9 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....9 National 1-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone. (a) The level of the national 1-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone measured by a...

  11. 40 CFR 50.10 - National 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... ambient air quality standards for ozone. 50.10 Section 50.10 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....10 National 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone. (a) The level of the national 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone, measured by a...

  12. 40 CFR 50.9 - National 1-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... ambient air quality standards for ozone. 50.9 Section 50.9 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....9 National 1-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone. (a) The level of the national 1-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone measured by a...

  13. 40 CFR 50.10 - National 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... ambient air quality standards for ozone. 50.10 Section 50.10 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....10 National 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone. (a) The level of the national 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone, measured by a...

  14. 40 CFR 50.9 - National 1-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... ambient air quality standards for ozone. 50.9 Section 50.9 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....9 National 1-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone. (a) The level of the national 1-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone measured by a...

  15. 40 CFR 50.9 - National 1-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... ambient air quality standards for ozone. 50.9 Section 50.9 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....9 National 1-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone. (a) The level of the national 1-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone measured by a...

  16. 40 CFR 50.10 - National 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... ambient air quality standards for ozone. 50.10 Section 50.10 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....10 National 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone. (a) The level of the national 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone, measured by a...

  17. 40 CFR 50.10 - National 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... ambient air quality standards for ozone. 50.10 Section 50.10 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....10 National 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone. (a) The level of the national 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone, measured by a...

  18. 40 CFR 50.9 - National 1-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... ambient air quality standards for ozone. 50.9 Section 50.9 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....9 National 1-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone. (a) The level of the national 1-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone measured by a...

  19. Standardized method to quantify the variation in voxel value distribution in patient-simulated CBCT data sets.

    PubMed

    Spin-Neto, R; Gotfredsen, E; Wenzel, A

    2015-01-01

    To suggest a standardized method to assess the variation in voxel value distribution in patient-simulated CBCT data sets and the effect of time between exposures (TBE). Additionally, a measurement of reproducibility, Aarhus measurement of reproducibility (AMORe), is introduced, which could be used for quality assurance purposes. Six CBCT units were tested [Cranex(®) 3D/CRAN (Soredex Oy, Tuusula, Finland); Scanora(®) 3D/SCAN (Soredex Oy); NewTom™ 5G/NEW5 (QR srl, Verona, Italy); i-CAT/ICAT (Imaging Sciences International, Hatfield, PA); 3D Accuitomo FPD80/ACCU (Morita, Kyoto, Japan); and NewTom VG/NEWV (QR srl)]. Two sets of volumetric data of a wax-imbedded dry human skull (containing a titanium implant) were acquired by each CBCT unit at two sessions on separate days. Each session consisted 21 exposures: 1 "initial" followed by a 30-min interval (initial data set), 10 acquired with 30-min TBE (data sets 1-10) and 10 acquired with 15-min TBE (data sets 11-20). CBCT data were exported as digital imaging and communications in medicine files and converted to text files containing x, y and z positions and grey shade for each voxel. Subtractions were performed voxel-by-voxel in two set-ups: (1) between two consecutive data sets and (2) between any subsequent data set and data set 1. The mean grey shade variation for each voxel was calculated for each unit/session. The largest mean grey shade variation was found in the subtraction set-up 2 (27-447 shades of grey, depending on the unit). Considering subtraction set-up 1, the highest variation was seen for NEW5, between data sets 1 and the initial. Discrepancies in voxel value distribution were found by comparing the initial examination of the day with the subsequent examinations. TBE had no predictable effect on the variation of CBCT-derived voxel values. AMORe ranged between 0 and 64.

  20. 76 FR 76048 - Air Quality Designations for the 2008 Lead (Pb) National Ambient Air Quality Standards

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-06

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 81 [EPA-HQ-OAR-2009-0443; FRL-9492-3] RIN 2060-AR17 Air Quality Designations for the 2008 Lead (Pb) National Ambient Air Quality Standards Correction In rule document 2011-29460 appearing on pages 72097-72120 in the issues of Tuesday, November 22, 2011...

  1. Assessing quality of care for migraineurs: a model health plan measurement set.

    PubMed

    Leas, Brian F; Gagne, Joshua J; Goldfarb, Neil I; Rupnow, Marcia F T; Silberstein, Stephen

    2008-08-01

    Quality of care measures are increasingly important to health plans, purchasers, physicians, and patients. Appropriate measures can be used to assess quality and evaluate improvement and are necessary components of pay-for-performance programs. Despite the broad scope of activity in the development of quality measures, migraine headache has received little attention. Given the enormous costs associated with migraine, especially in terms of lost productivity and preventable health care utilization, health plans could gain from a structured approach to measuring the quality of migraine care their beneficiaries receive. A potential migraine quality measurement set was developed through a review of migraine care literature and guidelines, interviews with leaders in migraine care, health care purchasing, and managed care, and the assembly of an advisory board. The board discussed candidate measures and established consensus on a testable measurement set. Twenty measures were developed, focused primarily on diagnosis and utilization. Areas of utilization include physician visits, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and imaging. Use of both acute and preventive medications is included. More complex aspects of migraine care are also addressed, including triptan overuse, the relationship between acute and preventive medications, and follow-up after emergency department visits. The measures are currently being tested in health plans to assess their feasibility and value. A compelling case can be made for the development of migraine-specific quality measures for health plans. This effort to develop and test a starter set of measures should lead to new and innovative efforts to assess and improve quality of care for migraineurs.

  2. Comparison of two methods of standard setting: the performance of the three-level Angoff method.

    PubMed

    Jalili, Mohammad; Hejri, Sara M; Norcini, John J

    2011-12-01

    Cut-scores, reliability and validity vary among standard-setting methods. The modified Angoff method (MA) is a well-known standard-setting procedure, but the three-level Angoff approach (TLA), a recent modification, has not been extensively evaluated. This study aimed to compare standards and pass rates in an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) obtained using two methods of standard setting with discussion and reality checking, and to assess the reliability and validity of each method. A sample of 105 medical students participated in a 14-station OSCE. Fourteen and 10 faculty members took part in the MA and TLA procedures, respectively. In the MA, judges estimated the probability that a borderline student would pass each station. In the TLA, judges estimated whether a borderline examinee would perform the task correctly or not. Having given individual ratings, judges discussed their decisions. One week after the examination, the procedure was repeated using normative data. The mean score for the total test was 54.11% (standard deviation: 8.80%). The MA cut-scores for the total test were 49.66% and 51.52% after discussion and reality checking, respectively (the consequent percentages of passing students were 65.7% and 58.1%, respectively). The TLA yielded mean pass scores of 53.92% and 63.09% after discussion and reality checking, respectively (rates of passing candidates were 44.8% and 12.4%, respectively). Compared with the TLA, the MA showed higher agreement between judges (0.94 versus 0.81) and a narrower 95% confidence interval in standards (3.22 versus 11.29). The MA seems a more credible and reliable procedure with which to set standards for an OSCE than does the TLA, especially when a reality check is applied. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2011.

  3. Development of a core set of outcome measures for OAB treatment.

    PubMed

    Foust-Wright, Caroline; Wissig, Stephanie; Stowell, Caleb; Olson, Elizabeth; Anderson, Anita; Anger, Jennifer; Cardozo, Linda; Cotterill, Nikki; Gormley, Elizabeth Ann; Toozs-Hobson, Philip; Heesakkers, John; Herbison, Peter; Moore, Kate; McKinney, Jessica; Morse, Abraham; Pulliam, Samantha; Szonyi, George; Wagg, Adrian; Milsom, Ian

    2017-12-01

    Standardized measures enable the comparison of outcomes across providers and treatments giving valuable information for improving care quality and efficacy. The aim of this project was to define a minimum standard set of outcome measures and case-mix factors for evaluating the care of patients with overactive bladder (OAB). The International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) convened an international working group (WG) of leading clinicians and patients to engage in a structured method for developing a core outcome set. Consensus was determined by a modified Delphi process, and discussions were supported by both literature review and patient input. The standard set measures outcomes of care for adults seeking treatment for OAB, excluding residents of long-term care facilities. The WG focused on treatment outcomes identified as most important key outcome domains to patients: symptom burden and bother, physical functioning, emotional health, impact of symptoms and treatment on quality of life, and success of treatment. Demographic information and case-mix factors that may affect these outcomes were also included. The standardized outcome set for evaluating clinical care is appropriate for use by all health providers caring for patients with OAB, regardless of specialty or geographic location, and provides key data for quality improvement activities and research.

  4. [Discussion on research thinking of traditional Chinese medicine standardization system based on whole process quality control].

    PubMed

    Dong, Ling; Sun, Yu; Pei, Wen-Xuan; Dai, Jun-Dong; Wang, Zi-Yu; Pan, Meng; Chen, Jiang-Peng; Wang, Yun

    2017-12-01

    The concept of "Quality by design" indicates that good design for the whole life cycle of pharmaceutical production enables the drug to meet the expected quality requirements. Aiming at the existing problems of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) industry, the TCM standardization system was put forward in this paper from the national strategic level, under the guidance by the idea of quality control in international manufacturing industry and with considerations of TCM industry's own characteristics and development status. The connotation of this strategy was to establish five interrelated systems: multi-indicators system based on tri-indicators system, quality standard and specification system of TCM herbal materials and decoction pieces, quality traceability system, data monitoring system based on whole-process quality control, and whole-process quality management system of TCM, and achieve the whole process systematic and scientific study in TCM industry through "top-level design-implement in steps-system integration" workflow. This article analyzed the correlation between the quality standards of all links, established standard operating procedures of each link and whole process, and constructed a high standard overall quality management system for TCM industry chains, in order to provide a demonstration for the establishment of TCM whole-process quality control system and provide systematic reference and basis for standardization strategy in TCM industry. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  5. Parental Perceptions of Child Care Quality in Centre-Based and Home-Based Settings: Associations with External Quality Ratings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lehrer, Joanne S.; Lemay, Lise; Bigras, Nathalie

    2015-01-01

    The current study examined how parental perceptions of child care quality were related to external quality ratings and considered how parental perceptions of quality varied according to child care context (home-based or centre-based settings). Parents of 179 4-year-old children who attended child care centres (n = 141) and home-based settings…

  6. Generating quality word sense disambiguation test sets based on MeSH indexing.

    PubMed

    Fan, Jung-Wei; Friedman, Carol

    2009-11-14

    Word sense disambiguation (WSD) determines the correct meaning of a word that has more than one meaning, and is a critical step in biomedical natural language processing, as interpretation of information in text can be correct only if the meanings of their component terms are correctly identified first. Quality evaluation sets are important to WSD because they can be used as representative samples for developing automatic programs and as referees for comparing different WSD programs. To help create quality test sets for WSD, we developed a MeSH-based automatic sense-tagging method that preferentially annotates terms being topical of the text. Preliminary results were promising and revealed important issues to be addressed in biomedical WSD research. We also suggest that, by cross-validating with 2 or 3 annotators, the method should be able to efficiently generate quality WSD test sets. Online supplement is available at: http://www.dbmi.columbia.edu/~juf7002/AMIA09.

  7. 42 CFR 431.610 - Relations with standard-setting and survey agencies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... and suppliers of services to participate in Medicare (see 42 CFR 405.1902). The requirement for... 42 Public Health 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Relations with standard-setting and survey agencies... specified in § 488.308 of this chapter. (3) Have qualified personnel perform on-site inspections— (i) At...

  8. 42 CFR 431.610 - Relations with standard-setting and survey agencies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... and suppliers of services to participate in Medicare (see 42 CFR 405.1902). The requirement for... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Relations with standard-setting and survey agencies... compliance question; and (ii) For non-State operated NFs, within the timeframes specified in § 488.308 of...

  9. 42 CFR 431.610 - Relations with standard-setting and survey agencies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... and suppliers of services to participate in Medicare (see 42 CFR 405.1902). The requirement for... 42 Public Health 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Relations with standard-setting and survey agencies... specified in § 488.308 of this chapter. (3) Have qualified personnel perform on-site inspections— (i) At...

  10. 42 CFR 431.610 - Relations with standard-setting and survey agencies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... and suppliers of services to participate in Medicare (see 42 CFR 405.1902). The requirement for... 42 Public Health 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Relations with standard-setting and survey agencies... compliance question; and (ii) For non-State operated NFs, within the timeframes specified in § 488.308 of...

  11. 42 CFR 431.610 - Relations with standard-setting and survey agencies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... and suppliers of services to participate in Medicare (see 42 CFR 405.1902). The requirement for... 42 Public Health 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Relations with standard-setting and survey agencies... specified in § 488.308 of this chapter. (3) Have qualified personnel perform on-site inspections— (i) At...

  12. A cross-platform survey of CT image quality and dose from routine abdomen protocols and a method to systematically standardize image quality.

    PubMed

    Favazza, Christopher P; Duan, Xinhui; Zhang, Yi; Yu, Lifeng; Leng, Shuai; Kofler, James M; Bruesewitz, Michael R; McCollough, Cynthia H

    2015-11-07

    Through this investigation we developed a methodology to evaluate and standardize CT image quality from routine abdomen protocols across different manufacturers and models. The influence of manufacturer-specific automated exposure control systems on image quality was directly assessed to standardize performance across a range of patient sizes. We evaluated 16 CT scanners across our health system, including Siemens, GE, and Toshiba models. Using each practice's routine abdomen protocol, we measured spatial resolution, image noise, and scanner radiation output (CTDIvol). Axial and in-plane spatial resolutions were assessed through slice sensitivity profile (SSP) and modulation transfer function (MTF) measurements, respectively. Image noise and CTDIvol values were obtained for three different phantom sizes. SSP measurements demonstrated a bimodal distribution in slice widths: an average of 6.2  ±  0.2 mm using GE's 'Plus' mode reconstruction setting and 5.0  ±  0.1 mm for all other scanners. MTF curves were similar for all scanners. Average spatial frequencies at 50%, 10%, and 2% MTF values were 3.24  ±  0.37, 6.20  ±  0.34, and 7.84  ±  0.70 lp cm(-1), respectively. For all phantom sizes, image noise and CTDIvol varied considerably: 6.5-13.3 HU (noise) and 4.8-13.3 mGy (CTDIvol) for the smallest phantom; 9.1-18.4 HU and 9.3-28.8 mGy for the medium phantom; and 7.8-23.4 HU and 16.0-48.1 mGy for the largest phantom. Using these measurements and benchmark SSP, MTF, and image noise targets, CT image quality can be standardized across a range of patient sizes.

  13. A minimal standardization setting for language mapping tests: an Italian example.

    PubMed

    Rofes, Adrià; de Aguiar, Vânia; Miceli, Gabriele

    2015-07-01

    During awake surgery, picture-naming tests are administered to identify brain structures related to language function (language mapping), and to avoid iatrogenic damage. Before and after surgery, naming tests and other neuropsychological procedures aim at charting naming abilities, and at detecting which items the subject can respond to correctly. To achieve this goal, sufficiently large samples of normed and standardized stimuli must be available for preoperative and postoperative testing, and to prepare intraoperative tasks, the latter only including items named flawlessly preoperatively. To discuss design, norming and presentation of stimuli, and to describe the minimal standardization setting used to develop two sets of Italian stimuli, one for object naming and one for verb naming, respectively. The setting includes a naming study (to obtain picture-name agreement ratings), two on-line questionnaires (to acquire age-of-acquisition and imageability ratings for all test items), and the norming of other relevant language variables. The two sets of stimuli have >80 % picture-name agreement, high levels of internal consistency and reliability for imageability and age of acquisition ratings. They are normed for psycholinguistic variables known to affect lexical access and retrieval, and are validated in a clinical population. This framework can be used to increase the probability of reliably detecting language impairments before and after surgery, to prepare intraoperative tests based on sufficient knowledge of pre-surgical language abilities in each patient, and to decrease the probability of false positives during surgery. Examples of data usage are provided. Normative data can be found in the supplementary materials.

  14. Quality Systems and ISO 9000 in Higher Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lundquist, Robert

    1997-01-01

    Examines quality assurance systems in higher education in general and of ISO 9000, a set of international quality standards, in particular. Reports on a survey of 23 institutions worldwide concerning implementation of quality systems and application of the ISO 9000 standards. Concludes that while institutions have found the quality assurance…

  15. Quality in Early Years Settings and Children's School Achievement. CEP Discussion Paper No. 1468

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blanden, Jo; Hansen, Kirstine; McNally, Sandra

    2017-01-01

    Childcare quality is often thought to be important for influencing children's subsequent attainment at school. The English Government regulates the quality of early education by setting minimum levels of qualifications for workers and grading settings based on a national Inspectorate (OfSTED). This paper uses administrative data on over two…

  16. Measuring Afterschool Program Quality Using Setting-Level Observational Approaches

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oh, Yoonkyung; Osgood, D. Wayne; Smith, Emilie P.

    2015-01-01

    The importance of afterschool hours for youth development is widely acknowledged, and afterschool settings have recently received increasing attention as an important venue for youth interventions, bringing a growing need for reliable and valid measures of afterschool quality. This study examined the extent to which the two observational tools,…

  17. American Alcohol Photo Stimuli (AAPS): A standardized set of alcohol and matched non-alcohol images.

    PubMed

    Stauffer, Christopher S; Dobberteen, Lily; Woolley, Joshua D

    2017-11-01

    Photographic stimuli are commonly used to assess cue reactivity in the research and treatment of alcohol use disorder. The stimuli used are often non-standardized, not properly validated, and poorly controlled. There are no previously published, validated, American-relevant sets of alcohol images created in a standardized fashion. We aimed to: 1) make available a standardized, matched set of photographic alcohol and non-alcohol beverage stimuli, 2) establish face validity, the extent to which the stimuli are subjectively viewed as what they are purported to be, and 3) establish construct validity, the degree to which a test measures what it claims to be measuring. We produced a standardized set of 36 images consisting of American alcohol and non-alcohol beverages matched for basic color, form, and complexity. A total of 178 participants (95 male, 82 female, 1 genderqueer) rated each image for appetitiveness. An arrow-probe task, in which matched pairs were categorized after being presented for 200 ms, assessed face validity. Criteria for construct validity were met if variation in AUDIT scores were associated with variation in performance on tasks during alcohol image presentation. Overall, images were categorized with >90% accuracy. Participants' AUDIT scores correlated significantly with alcohol "want" and "like" ratings [r(176) = 0.27, p = <0.001; r(176) = 0.36, p = <0.001] and arrow-probe latency [r(176) = -0.22, p = 0.004], but not with non-alcohol outcomes. Furthermore, appetitive ratings and arrow-probe latency for alcohol, but not non-alcohol, differed significantly for heavy versus light drinkers. Our image set provides valid and reliable alcohol stimuli for both explicit and implicit tests of cue reactivity. The use of standardized, validated, reliable image sets may improve consistency across research and treatment paradigms.

  18. Situational Management, Standard Setting, and Self-Reward in a Behavior Modification Weight Loss Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chapman, Stanley L.; Jeffrey, D. Balfour

    1978-01-01

    In comprehensive wieght loss program, overweight women exposed to instruction in self-standard setting and to situational management techniques lost more weight than those instructed only in situational management techniques. Findings illustrate facilitative effect of teaching individuals to set specific, objective, and realistic goals for eating…

  19. 40 CFR 50.17 - National primary ambient air quality standards for sulfur oxides (sulfur dioxide).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... standards for sulfur oxides (sulfur dioxide). 50.17 Section 50.17 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....17 National primary ambient air quality standards for sulfur oxides (sulfur dioxide). (a) The level of the national primary 1-hour annual ambient air quality standard for oxides of sulfur is 75 parts...

  20. 40 CFR 50.17 - National primary ambient air quality standards for sulfur oxides (sulfur dioxide).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... standards for sulfur oxides (sulfur dioxide). 50.17 Section 50.17 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....17 National primary ambient air quality standards for sulfur oxides (sulfur dioxide). (a) The level of the national primary 1-hour annual ambient air quality standard for oxides of sulfur is 75 parts...

  1. 40 CFR 50.17 - National primary ambient air quality standards for sulfur oxides (sulfur dioxide).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... standards for sulfur oxides (sulfur dioxide). 50.17 Section 50.17 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....17 National primary ambient air quality standards for sulfur oxides (sulfur dioxide). (a) The level of the national primary 1-hour annual ambient air quality standard for oxides of sulfur is 75 parts...

  2. 40 CFR 50.17 - National primary ambient air quality standards for sulfur oxides (sulfur dioxide).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... standards for sulfur oxides (sulfur dioxide). 50.17 Section 50.17 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....17 National primary ambient air quality standards for sulfur oxides (sulfur dioxide). (a) The level of the national primary 1-hour annual ambient air quality standard for oxides of sulfur is 75 parts...

  3. 40 CFR 50.17 - National primary ambient air quality standards for sulfur oxides (sulfur dioxide).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... standards for sulfur oxides (sulfur dioxide). 50.17 Section 50.17 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....17 National primary ambient air quality standards for sulfur oxides (sulfur dioxide). (a) The level of the national primary 1-hour annual ambient air quality standard for oxides of sulfur is 75 parts...

  4. Standardized protocols for quality control of MRM-based plasma proteomic workflows.

    PubMed

    Percy, Andrew J; Chambers, Andrew G; Smith, Derek S; Borchers, Christoph H

    2013-01-04

    Mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics is rapidly emerging as a viable technology for the identification and quantitation of biological samples, such as human plasma--the most complex yet commonly employed biofluid in clinical analyses. The transition from a qualitative to quantitative science is required if proteomics is going to successfully make the transition to a clinically useful technique. MS, however, has been criticized for a lack of reproducibility and interlaboratory transferability. Currently, the MS and plasma proteomics communities lack standardized protocols and reagents to ensure that high-quality quantitative data can be accurately and precisely reproduced by laboratories across the world using different MS technologies. Toward addressing this issue, we have developed standard protocols for multiple reaction monitoring (MRM)-based assays with customized isotopically labeled internal standards for quality control of the sample preparation workflow and the MS platform in quantitative plasma proteomic analyses. The development of reference standards and their application to a single MS platform is discussed herein, along with the results from intralaboratory tests. The tests highlighted the importance of the reference standards in assessing the efficiency and reproducibility of the entire bottom-up proteomic workflow and revealed errors related to the sample preparation and performance quality and deficits of the MS and LC systems. Such evaluations are necessary if MRM-based quantitative plasma proteomics is to be used in verifying and validating putative disease biomarkers across different research laboratories and eventually in clinical laboratories.

  5. Standard operating procedures improve acute neurologic care in a sub-Saharan African setting

    PubMed Central

    Jaiteh, Lamin E.S.; Helwig, Stefan A.; Jagne, Abubacarr; Ragoschke-Schumm, Andreas; Sarr, Catherine; Walter, Silke; Lesmeister, Martin; Manitz, Matthias; Blaß, Sebastian; Weis, Sarah; Schlund, Verena; Bah, Neneh; Kauffmann, Jil; Fousse, Mathias; Kangankan, Sabina; Ramos Cabrera, Asmell; Kronfeld, Kai; Ruckes, Christian; Liu, Yang; Nyan, Ousman

    2017-01-01

    Objective: Quality of neurologic emergency management in an under-resourced country may be improved by standard operating procedures (SOPs). Methods: Neurologic SOPs were implemented in a large urban (Banjul) and a small rural (Brikama) hospital in the Gambia. As quality indicators of neurologic emergency management, performance of key procedures was assessed at baseline and in the first and second implementation years. Results: At Banjul, 100 patients of the first-year intervention group exhibited higher rates of general procedures of emergency management than 105 control patients, such as neurologic examination (99.0% vs 91.4%; p < 0.05) and assessments of respiratory rate (98.0% vs 81.9%, p < 0.001), temperature (60.0% vs 36.2%; p < 0.001), and glucose levels (73.0% vs 58.1%; p < 0.05), in addition to written directives by physicians (96.0% vs 88.6%, p < 0.05), whereas assessments of other vital signs remained unchanged. In stroke patients, rates of stroke-related procedures increased: early CT scanning (24.3% vs 9.9%; p < 0.05), blood count (73.0% vs 49.3%; p < 0.01), renal and liver function tests (50.0% vs 5.6%, p < 0.001), aspirin prophylaxis (47.3% vs 9.9%; p < 0.001), and physiotherapy (41.9% vs 4.2%; p < 0.001). Most effects persisted until the second-year evaluation. SOP implementation was similarly feasible and beneficial at the Brikama hospital. However, outcomes did not significantly differ in the hospitals. Conclusions: Implementing SOPs is a realistic, low-cost option for improving process quality of neurologic emergency management in under-resourced settings. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class IV evidence that, for patients with suspected neurologic emergencies in sub-Saharan Africa, neurologic SOPs increase the rate of performance of guideline-recommended procedures. PMID:28600460

  6. Standard operating procedures improve acute neurologic care in a sub-Saharan African setting.

    PubMed

    Jaiteh, Lamin E S; Helwig, Stefan A; Jagne, Abubacarr; Ragoschke-Schumm, Andreas; Sarr, Catherine; Walter, Silke; Lesmeister, Martin; Manitz, Matthias; Blaß, Sebastian; Weis, Sarah; Schlund, Verena; Bah, Neneh; Kauffmann, Jil; Fousse, Mathias; Kangankan, Sabina; Ramos Cabrera, Asmell; Kronfeld, Kai; Ruckes, Christian; Liu, Yang; Nyan, Ousman; Fassbender, Klaus

    2017-07-11

    Quality of neurologic emergency management in an under-resourced country may be improved by standard operating procedures (SOPs). Neurologic SOPs were implemented in a large urban (Banjul) and a small rural (Brikama) hospital in the Gambia. As quality indicators of neurologic emergency management, performance of key procedures was assessed at baseline and in the first and second implementation years. At Banjul, 100 patients of the first-year intervention group exhibited higher rates of general procedures of emergency management than 105 control patients, such as neurologic examination (99.0% vs 91.4%; p < 0.05) and assessments of respiratory rate (98.0% vs 81.9%, p < 0.001), temperature (60.0% vs 36.2%; p < 0.001), and glucose levels (73.0% vs 58.1%; p < 0.05), in addition to written directives by physicians (96.0% vs 88.6%, p < 0.05), whereas assessments of other vital signs remained unchanged. In stroke patients, rates of stroke-related procedures increased: early CT scanning (24.3% vs 9.9%; p < 0.05), blood count (73.0% vs 49.3%; p < 0.01), renal and liver function tests (50.0% vs 5.6%, p < 0.001), aspirin prophylaxis (47.3% vs 9.9%; p < 0.001), and physiotherapy (41.9% vs 4.2%; p < 0.001). Most effects persisted until the second-year evaluation. SOP implementation was similarly feasible and beneficial at the Brikama hospital. However, outcomes did not significantly differ in the hospitals. Implementing SOPs is a realistic, low-cost option for improving process quality of neurologic emergency management in under-resourced settings. This study provides Class IV evidence that, for patients with suspected neurologic emergencies in sub-Saharan Africa, neurologic SOPs increase the rate of performance of guideline-recommended procedures. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Neurology.

  7. Constructing Assessment Model of Primary and Secondary Educational Quality with Talent Quality as the Core Standard

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Benyou

    2014-01-01

    Quality is the core of education and it is important to standardization construction of primary and secondary education in urban (U) and rural (R) areas. The ultimate goal of the integration of urban and rural education is to pursuit quality urban and rural education. Based on analysing the related policy basis and the existing assessment models…

  8. ASCCP Colposcopy Standards: Colposcopy Quality Improvement Recommendations for the United States.

    PubMed

    Mayeaux, Edward J; Novetsky, Akiva P; Chelmow, David; Garcia, Francisco; Choma, Kim; Liu, Angela H; Papasozomenos, Theognosia; Einstein, Mark H; Massad, L Stewart; Wentzensen, Nicolas; Waxman, Alan G; Conageski, Christine; Khan, Michelle J; Huh, Warner K

    2017-10-01

    The American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP) Colposcopy Standards recommendations address the role of and approach to colposcopy and biopsy for cervical cancer prevention in the United States. The recommendations were developed by an expert working group appointed by ASCCP's Board of Directors. The ASCCP Quality Improvement Working Group developed evidence-based guidelines to promote best practices and reduce errors in colposcopy and recommended indicators to measure colposcopy quality. The working group performed a systematic review of existing major society and national guidelines and quality indicators. An initial list of potential quality indicators was developed and refined through successive iterative discussions, and draft quality indicators were proposed. The draft recommendations were then reviewed and commented on by the entire Colposcopy Standards Committee, posted online for public comment, and presented at the International Federation for Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy 2017 World Congress for further comment. All comments were considered, additional adjustments made, and the final recommendations approved by the entire Task Force. Eleven quality indicators were selected spanning documentation, biopsy protocols, and time intervals between index screening tests and completion of diagnostic evaluation. The proposed quality indicators are intended to serve as a starting point for quality improvement in colposcopy at a time when colposcopy volume is decreasing and individual procedures are becoming technically more difficult to perform.

  9. Improving the Quality of Health Care Services for Adolescents, Globally: A Standards-Driven Approach

    PubMed Central

    Nair, Manisha; Baltag, Valentina; Bose, Krishna; Boschi-Pinto, Cynthia; Lambrechts, Thierry; Mathai, Matthews

    2015-01-01

    Purpose The World Health Organization (WHO) undertook an extensive and elaborate process to develop eight Global Standards to improve quality of health care services for adolescents. The objectives of this article are to present the Global Standards and their method of development. Methods The Global Standards were developed through a four-stage process: (1) conducting needs assessment; (2) developing the Global Standards and their criteria; (3) expert consultations; and (4) assessing their usability. Needs assessment involved conducting a meta-review of systematic reviews and two online global surveys in 2013, one with primary health care providers and another with adolescents. The Global Standards were developed based on the needs assessment in conjunction with analysis of 26 national standards from 25 countries. The final document was reviewed by experts from the World Health Organization regional and country offices, governments, academia, nongovernmental organizations, and development partners. The standards were subsequently tested in Benin and in a regional expert consultation of Latin America and Caribbean countries for their usability. Results The process resulted in the development of eight Global Standards and 79 criteria for measuring them: (1) adolescents' health literacy; (2) community support; (3) appropriate package of services; (4) providers' competencies; (5) facility characteristics; (6) equity and nondiscrimination; (7) data and quality improvement; and (8) adolescents' participation. Conclusions The eight standards are intended to act as benchmarks against which quality of health care provided to adolescents could be compared. Health care services can use the standards as part of their internal quality assurance mechanisms or as part of an external accreditation process. PMID:26299556

  10. 75 FR 16459 - Draft Document Related to the Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-01

    ... Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter AGENCY: Environmental... Review of the Particulate Matter National Ambient Air Quality Standards--First External Review Draft (75... Particulate Matter National Ambient Air Quality Standards--First External Review Draft (March 2010), please...

  11. A Risk and Standards Based Approach to Quality Assurance in Australia's Diverse Higher Education Sector

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Australian Government Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, 2015

    2015-01-01

    The Australian Government Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency's (TEQSA's) role is to assure that quality standards are being met by all registered higher education providers. This paper explains how TEQSA's risk-based approach to assuring higher education standards is applied in broad terms to a diverse sector. This explanation is…

  12. Review of Special Standards in Quality Management Systems Audits in Automotive Production

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Šurinová, Yulia

    2013-12-01

    Quality management systems (QMS) in automotive industry generally have several differences in comparison with other industrial branches. Different customers have their own specific requirements, including requirements for quality audits. Audits are one of the coretools of quality management to make the PDCA (Plan - Do - Check - Act) cycle work. As a matter of fact, compliance with ISO/TS 16949:2009 requirements is a condition for supplying the automotive industry. However, there are some standards which co-exist together with the ISO 9001 based management systems and technical specification for QMS in automotive ISO/TS16949. Which are those specific standards in automotive industry and what standard to use and why - those are the questions to be answered in this paper. The aim of the paper is to review what standards are used for audits implementation in automotive industry in the Slovak Republic, and why the organizations keep following those "extra" standards even if certification for ISO/TS 16949 is required by all the car makers. The paper is structured as follows: after short introduction to the topic and related terms, presented is our methodology. . In the third section, the achieved results are discussed. And finally, the principal findings of the paper, limitations and conclusions are presented.

  13. Effects of modifying the World Health Organization standard operating procedures for malaria microscopy to improve surveillance in resource poor settings.

    PubMed

    Fernando, Sumadhya D; Ihalamulla, Ratnasiri L; Wickremasinghe, Renu; de Silva, Nipun L; Thilakarathne, Janani H; Wijeyaratne, Pandu; Premaratne, Risintha G

    2014-03-15

    Individuals with fever are screened for malaria in specially-established malaria diagnostic laboratories set up in rural hospitals in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka. Large numbers of blood smears negative for malaria parasites are being screened daily. Good quality smears are essential to maintain a high diagnostic competency among the technical staff. The modifications made to the World Health Organization (WHO) standard operating procedures to improve the quality of smears have been studied. A blinded, controlled, interventional study was conducted in 22 intervention and 21 control malaria diagnostic laboratories. Changes were made to the WHO standard operating procedure protocols to prepare, stain and examine blood smears for malaria parasite detection which were implemented in intervention laboratories. These included wipe-cleaning slides, preparing both thick and thin smears on the same slide, reversing the order of collecting blood for thick and thin smears, dry fixing thick smear for 20-25 minutes under table lamp, polishing the edge of spreader slide with sand paper and fixing the thin smear with methanol if not stained within four hours. Parameters with respect to quality of the smear as per WHO criteria were studied using randomly selected slides, and time taken for the report to be issued was recorded in both groups before and after the intervention. There were no significant differences observed in the parameters studied at baseline between the two groups or pre and post intervention in the control group. In the intervention group streak formation in thin smears was reduced from 29.4% to 5.0%. The average fixing time of thick smears was reduced from 2.4 hours to 20 minutes. Inappropriate thickness of thick smears reduced from 18.3% to 1.5%. Overall quality of thick smears and thin smears increased from 76.1% to 98.0% and 81.7% to 87.0%, respectively. The quality of slides bearing both thick and thin smears increased from 60.0% to 87

  14. Legal consequences of standard setting for competitive athletes with cardiovascular abnormalities.

    PubMed

    Weistart, J C

    1985-12-01

    This paper addresses the issue of whether establishing consensus standards for the treatment of particular medical conditions increases a physician's exposure to legal liability. The conclusion reached is that the legal effects of standard setting, rather than representing a significant threat of liability, should be seen as beneficial to the medical profession. A fundamental point is that the legal test for liability is entirely dependent on the medical profession's definition of what constitutes adequate care. The law incorporates the standard of care defined by the medical profession and does not impose an external norm. In the absence of formally stated standards, the process of defining relevant medical criteria will involve a great deal of uncertainty. Outcomes of legal contests will be affected by such extraneous factors as the relative experience of the lawyers involved, their access to knowledgeable expert witnesses, and their strategic decisions made with respect to tactics and procedures. Establishment of formal standards has the salutory effect of limiting the influence of these factors and thus reducing the randomness of the results reached. Formal standards also have the advantage of being easily replicated in unrelated proceedings and thereby contribute to the development of a consistent, evenly applied rule of liability. Finally, even if formal standards are either more, or less, progressive than the actual state of medical practice, there is relatively little risk that they will produce untoward results.

  15. The OSHA standard setting process: role of the occupational health nurse.

    PubMed

    Klinger, C S; Jones, M L

    1994-08-01

    1. Occupational health nurses are the health professionals most often involved with the worker who suffers as a result of ineffective or non-existent safety and health standards. 2. Occupational health nurses are familiar with health and safety standards, but may not understand or participate in the rulemaking process used to develop them. 3. Knowing the eight basic steps of rulemaking and actively participating in the process empowers occupational health nurses to influence national policy decisions affecting the safety and health of millions of workers. 4. By actively participating in rulemaking activities, occupational health nurses also improve the quality of occupational health nursing practice and enhance the image of the nursing profession.

  16. 40 CFR 50.16 - National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for lead.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false National primary and secondary ambient... AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS NATIONAL PRIMARY AND SECONDARY AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS § 50.16 National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for lead. (a) The national primary and...

  17. 40 CFR 50.12 - National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for lead.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false National primary and secondary ambient... AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS NATIONAL PRIMARY AND SECONDARY AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS § 50.12 National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for lead. (a) National primary and secondary...

  18. The importance of standardized observations to evaluate nutritional care quality in the survey process.

    PubMed

    Schnelle, John F; Bertrand, Rosanna; Hurd, Donna; White, Alan; Squires, David; Feuerberg, Marvin; Hickey, Kelly; Simmons, Sandra F

    2009-10-01

    Guidelines written for government surveyors who assess nursing home (NH) compliance with federal standards contain instructions to observe the quality of mealtime assistance. However, these instructions are vague and no protocol is provided for surveyors to record observational data. This study compared government survey staff observations of mealtime assistance quality to observations by research staff using a standardized protocol that met basic standards for accurate behavioral measurement. Survey staff used either the observation instructions in the standard survey process or those written for the revised Quality Improvement Survey (QIS). Trained research staff observed mealtime care in 20 NHs in 5 states during the same time period that survey staff evaluated care in the same facilities, although it could not be determined if survey and research staff observed the same residents during the same meals. Ten NHs were evaluated by government surveyors using the QIS survey instructions and 10 NHs were evaluated by surveyors using the standard survey instructions. Research staff observations using a standardized observation protocol identified a higher proportion of residents receiving inadequate feeding assistance during meals relative to survey staff using either the standard or QIS survey instructions. For example, more than 50% of the residents who ate less than half of their meals based on research staff observation were not offered an alternative to the served meal, and the lack of alternatives, or meal substitutions, was common in all 20 NHs. In comparison, the QIS survey teams documented only 2 instances when meal substitutes were not offered in 10 NHs and the standard survey teams documented no instances in 10 NHs. Standardized mealtime observations by research staff revealed feeding assistance care quality issues in all 20 study NHs. Surveyors following the instructions in either the standard or revised QIS surveys did not detect most of these care quality

  19. The development of national quality performance standards for disposable absorbent products for adult incontinence.

    PubMed

    Muller, Nancy; McInnis, Elaine

    2013-09-01

    Disposable absorbent products are widely used in inpatient care settings and in the community to manage adult urinary and fecal incontinence, but few product standards exist to help guide their production or optimal use. Increasing costs and reduced revenues have caused a number of states to evaluate absorbent product use among persons who receive care at home with the assistance of the Medicaid Waiver Program, further increasing concerns about the lack of product performance standards. To address these issues, the National Association For Continence (NAFC) formed a council of experts and key stakeholders with the objective of establishing national, independent quality performance standards for disposable absorbent products provided by states to Waiver Program recipients. The Council consisted of representatives from five purposefully selected states, technical directors from six nonwoven product manufacturers, an officer of the nonwoven manufactures trade association, a delegate from an academic nursing program and professional societies, a family caregiver, and a patient representative. Following a consensus method and guidelines for use, nine specific recommendations were developed, posted for public comment, and further refined. Final recommendations for product performance assessment include: rewet rate (a measure of a product's ability to withstand multiple incontinent episodes between changes), rate of acquisition (a measure of the speed at which urine is drawn away from the skin by a product, product retention capacity (a measure of a product's capacity to hold fluid without rewetting the skin), sizing options, absorbency levels, product safety, closure technology, breathable zones (a measure of the air permeability across a textile-like fabric at a controlled differential pressure), and elasticity. The Council also set values for and recommended four quantifiable parameters, and the testing methodology associated with each, to help consumers and states

  20. Ecological quality boundary-setting procedures: the Gulf of Riga case study.

    PubMed

    Aigars, Juris; Müller-Karulis, Bärbel; Martin, Georg; Jermakovs, Vadims

    2008-03-01

    Two approaches for setting ecological class boundaries, response curves and a simplified mathematical boundary-setting protocol, were tested for coastal, transitional and open waters in the Gulf of Riga, Baltic Sea. The simplified mathematical boundary-setting protocol defines acceptable ecological status based on expert judgment by a uniform relative deviation from reference conditions. In contrast, response curves derive class boundary definitions from observed changes in biological quality elements along environmental pressure gradients for class boundary definitions. Identification of relevant environmental pressures for the construction of response curves was based on a conceptual model of eutrophication in the Gulf of Riga. Response curves were successfully established for summer chlorophyll a and transparency, as well as for macrozoobenthos abundance in the Central Gulf, macrozoobenthos biotic coefficient in the Southern Gulf, and maximum depth of phytobenthos in the Northern Gulf. In the Gulf of Riga response curves almost always permitted a larger deviation from reference conditions than the 50% deviation applied for the simplified mathematical boundary-setting protocol. The case study clearly demonstrated that class boundary definitions should take into account the sensitivity of the target water body. Also, the class boundaries for different ecological quality elements were internally more consistent than those derived by the simplified mathematical boundary-setting protocol.

  1. Low-Quality Housing Is Associated With Increased Risk of Malaria Infection: A National Population-Based Study From the Low Transmission Setting of Swaziland

    PubMed Central

    Dlamini, Nomcebo; Ntshalintshali, Nyasatu; Pindolia, Deepa; Allen, Regan; Nhlabathi, Nomcebo; Novotny, Joseph; Kang Dufour, Mi-Suk; Midekisa, Alemayehu; Gosling, Roly; LeMenach, Arnaud; Cohen, Justin; Dorsey, Grant; Greenhouse, Bryan; Kunene, Simon

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Background. Low-quality housing may confer risk of malaria infection, but evidence in low transmission settings is limited. Methods. To examine the relationship between individual level housing quality and locally acquired infection in children and adults, a population-based cross-sectional analysis was performed using existing surveillance data from the low transmission setting of Swaziland. From 2012 to 2015, cases were identified through standard diagnostics in health facilities and by loop-mediated isothermal amplification in active surveillance, with uninfected subjects being household members and neighbors. Housing was visually assessed in a home visit and then classified as low, high, or medium quality, based on housing components being traditional, modern, or both, respectively. Results. Overall, 11426 individuals were included in the study: 10960 uninfected and 466 infected (301 symptomatic and 165 asymptomatic). Six percent resided in low-quality houses, 26% in medium-quality houses, and 68% in high-quality houses. In adjusted models, low- and medium-quality construction was associated with increased risk of malaria compared with high-quality construction (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.11 and 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26–3.53 for low vs high; AOR, 1.56 and 95% CI, 1.15–2.11 for medium vs high). The relationship was independent of vector control, which also conferred a protective effect (AOR, 0.67; 95% CI, .50–.90) for sleeping under an insecticide-treated bed net or a sprayed structure compared with neither. Conclusions. Our study adds to the limited literature on housing quality and malaria risk from low transmission settings. Housing improvements may offer an attractive and sustainable additional strategy to support countries in malaria elimination. PMID:28580365

  2. Quality of life for post-polio syndrome: a patient derived, Rasch standard scale.

    PubMed

    Young, Carolyn A; Quincey, Anne-Marie C; Wong, Samantha M; Tennant, Alan

    2018-03-01

    To design a disease-specific quality of life (QoL) questionnaire for people with post-polio syndrome (PPS). Qualitative interviews were conducted with 45 people with PPS to identify themes and derive potential items reflecting impact upon QoL. After cognitive debriefing, these were made into a questionnaire pack along with comparative questionnaires and posted to 319 patients. The 271 (85%) returned questionnaires were subjected to exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Rasch analysis. A 25 item scale, the post-polio quality of life scale (PP-QoL), showed good fit to the Rasch model (conditional chi-square p = 0.156), unidimensionality (% t-tests 2.0: CI 0.7-3.8), and Cronbach's alpha of 0.87. With the latent estimate transformed to a 0-100 scale, the mean score was 56.9 (SD 18.5) with only 3.3% of respondents at the floor or ceiling of the scale. Test-retest reliability showed an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) (2.1) of 0.916, and correlation of 0.85. The disease-specific PP-QoL demonstrated excellent reliability, appropriate concurrent validity, and satisfied the standards of the Rasch model. It enables examination of the impact of health status upon perceived QoL, and the impact of rehabilitation interventions. The scale is freely available for academic or not-for-profit users to improve research in this neglected, disabling condition. Implications for Rehabilitation In post-polio syndrome (PPS), existing work examines aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), such as activity limitations. A disease-specific QoL measure would enable researchers to model the impact of health status, such as fatigue or mobility restrictions, upon QoL in PPS. The post-polio quality of life scale (PP-QoL) is based on the patients' lived experience, meets Rasch standards and is free for use for academic and not-for-profit researchers. The raw score is reliable for individual use in clinical settings, and interval scale transformation is available for parametric

  3. 78 FR 70905 - Extension of Comment Period for the Water Quality Standards Regulatory Clarifications Proposed Rule

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-27

    ... Comment Period for the Water Quality Standards Regulatory Clarifications Proposed Rule AGENCY... Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is extending the comment period for the proposed rule ``Water Quality... published the proposed rule ``Water Quality Standards Regulatory Clarifications'' in the Federal Register...

  4. 77 FR 30160 - Implementation of the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: Nonattainment Area...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-21

    ...-AR32 Implementation of the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: Nonattainment Area Classifications Approach, Attainment Deadlines and Revocation of the 1997 Ozone Standards for Transportation... all nonattainment areas for the 2008 ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) (the ``2008...

  5. 40 CFR 50.11 - National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for oxides of nitrogen (with...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... air quality standards for oxides of nitrogen (with nitrogen dioxide as the indicator). 50.11 Section... quality standards for oxides of nitrogen (with nitrogen dioxide as the indicator). (a) The level of the national primary annual ambient air quality standard for oxides of nitrogen is 53 parts per billion (ppb...

  6. 40 CFR 50.11 - National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for oxides of nitrogen (with...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... air quality standards for oxides of nitrogen (with nitrogen dioxide as the indicator). 50.11 Section... quality standards for oxides of nitrogen (with nitrogen dioxide as the indicator). (a) The level of the national primary annual ambient air quality standard for oxides of nitrogen is 53 parts per billion (ppb...

  7. 40 CFR 50.11 - National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for oxides of nitrogen (with...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... air quality standards for oxides of nitrogen (with nitrogen dioxide as the indicator). 50.11 Section... quality standards for oxides of nitrogen (with nitrogen dioxide as the indicator). (a) The level of the national primary annual ambient air quality standard for oxides of nitrogen is 53 parts per billion (ppb...

  8. Standardization and quality control parameters for Muktā Bhasma (calcined pearl)

    PubMed Central

    Joshi, Namrata; Sharma, Khemchand; Peter, Hema; Dash, Manoj Kumar

    2015-01-01

    Background: Muktā Bhasma (MB) is a traditional Ayurvedic preparation for cough, breathlessness, and eye disorders and is a powerful cardiac tonic, mood elevator, and known to promote strength, intellect, and semen production. Objectives: The present research work was conducted to generate fingerprint for raw and processed MB for quality assessment and standardization using classical and other techniques. Setting and Design: Three samples of MB were prepared by purification (śodhana) of Muktā (pearl) followed by repeated calcinations (Māraṇa). Resultant product was subjected to organoleptic tests and Ayurvedic tests for quality control such as rekhāpūrṇatā, vāritaratva, and nirdhūmatva. Materials and Methods: For quality control, physicochemical parameters such as loss on drying, total ash value, acid insoluble ash, specific gravity, pH value, and other tests using techniques such as elemental analysis with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), Structural study with powder X-ray diffraction, particle size with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were carried out on raw Muktā, Śodhita Muktā, and triplicate batches of MB. Results: The study showed that the raw material Muktā was calcium carbonate in aragonite form, which on repeated calcinations was converted into a more stable calcite form. SEM studies revealed that in raw and purified materials the particles were found scattered and unevenly arranged in the range of 718.7–214.7 nm while in final product, uniformly arranged, stable, rod-shaped, and rounded particles with more agglomerates were observed in the range of 279.2–79.93 nm. EDAX analysis revealed calcium as a major ingredient in MB (average 46.32%) which increased gradually in the stages of processing (raw 34.11%, Śodhita 37.5%). Conclusion: Quality control parameters have been quantified for fingerprinting of MB prepared using a particular method. PMID:26600667

  9. Federal Workforce Quality: Measurement and Improvement

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-08-01

    explicit standards of production and service quality . Assessment Tools 4 OPM should institutionalize its data collection program of longitudinal research...include data about quirements, should set explicit standards of various aspects of the model. That is, the production and service quality . effort...are the immediate consumers service quality are possible. of the products and services delivered, and still others in the larger society who have no

  10. Study on an Air Quality Evaluation Model for Beijing City Under Haze-Fog Pollution Based on New Ambient Air Quality Standards

    PubMed Central

    Li, Li; Liu, Dong-Jun

    2014-01-01

    Since 2012, China has been facing haze-fog weather conditions, and haze-fog pollution and PM2.5 have become hot topics. It is very necessary to evaluate and analyze the ecological status of the air environment of China, which is of great significance for environmental protection measures. In this study the current situation of haze-fog pollution in China was analyzed first, and the new Ambient Air Quality Standards were introduced. For the issue of air quality evaluation, a comprehensive evaluation model based on an entropy weighting method and nearest neighbor method was developed. The entropy weighting method was used to determine the weights of indicators, and the nearest neighbor method was utilized to evaluate the air quality levels. Then the comprehensive evaluation model was applied into the practical evaluation problems of air quality in Beijing to analyze the haze-fog pollution. Two simulation experiments were implemented in this study. One experiment included the indicator of PM2.5 and was carried out based on the new Ambient Air Quality Standards (GB 3095-2012); the other experiment excluded PM2.5 and was carried out based on the old Ambient Air Quality Standards (GB 3095-1996). Their results were compared, and the simulation results showed that PM2.5 was an important indicator for air quality and the evaluation results of the new Air Quality Standards were more scientific than the old ones. The haze-fog pollution situation in Beijing City was also analyzed based on these results, and the corresponding management measures were suggested. PMID:25170682

  11. Water Quality Standards for Coral Reef Protection | Science ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The U.S. Clean Water Act provides a legal framework to protect coastal biological resources such as coral reefs, mangrove forests, and seagrass meadows from the damaging effects of human activities. Even though many resources are protected under this authority, water quality standards have not been effectively applied to coral reefs. The Environmental Protection Agency is promoting biocriteria and other water quality standards through collaborative development of bioassessment procedures, indicators and monitoring strategies. To support regulatory action, bioassessment indicators must be biologically meaningful, relevant to management, responsive to human disturbance, and relatively immune to natural variability. A rapid bioassessment protocol for reef-building stony corals was developed and tested for regulatory applicability. Preliminary testing in the Florida Keys found indicators had sufficient precision and provided information relevant to coral reef management. Sensitivity to human disturbance was demonstrated in the U.S. Virgin Islands for five of eight indicators tested. Once established, monitoring programs using these indicators can provide valuable, long-term records of coral condition and regulatory compliance. Development of a rapid bioassement protocol for reef-building stony corals was tested for regulatory applicability.

  12. A Rising Tide of Primary School Standards--The Role of Data Systems in Improving Equitable Access for All to Quality Education in Vietnam

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Attfield, Ian; Vu, Binh Thanh

    2013-01-01

    The approach taken over the past decade to introduce minimum primary school standards in Vietnam is reviewed, with annual school audits that measured both input (quality) and output indicators. It describes a successful, context specific approach in which flexible data systems were used to support the evolution and adoption of a new set of…

  13. Measuring the quality of haemophilia care across different settings: a set of performance indicators derived from demographics data.

    PubMed

    Iorio, A; Stonebraker, J S; Brooker, M; Soucie, J M

    2017-01-01

    Haemophilia is a rare disease for which quality of care varies around the world. We propose data-driven indicators as surrogate measures for the provision of haemophilia care across countries and over time. The guiding criteria for selection of possible indicators were ease of calculation and direct applicability to a wide range of countries with basic data collection capacities. General population epidemiological data and haemophilia A population data from the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) Annual Global Survey (AGS) for the years 2013 and 2010 in a sample of 10 countries were used for this pilot exercise. Three indicators were identified: (i) the percentage difference between the observed and the expected haemophilia A incidence, which would be close to null when all of the people with haemophilia A (PWHA) theoretically expected in a country would be known and reported to the AGS; (ii) the percentage of the total number of PWHA with severe disease; and (iii) the ratio of adults to children among PWHA standardized to the ratio of adults to children for males in the general population, which would be close to one if the survival of PWHA is equal to that of the general population. Country-specific values have been calculated for the 10 countries. We have identified and evaluated three promising indicators of quality of care in haemophilia. Further evaluation on a wider set of data from the AGS will be needed to confirm their value and further explore their measurement properties. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Measuring the quality of haemophilia care across different settings: a set of performance indicators derived from demographics data

    PubMed Central

    IORIO, A.; STONEBRAKER, J. S.; BROOKER, M.; SOUCIE, J. M.

    2017-01-01

    Background Haemophilia is a rare disease for which quality of care varies around the world. We propose data-driven indicators as surrogate measures for the provision of haemophilia care across countries and over time. Materials and methods The guiding criteria for selection of possible indicators were ease of calculation and direct applicability to a wide range of countries with basic data collection capacities. General population epidemiological data and haemophilia A population data from the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) Annual Global Survey (AGS) for the years 2013 and 2010 in a sample of 10 countries were used for this pilot exercise. Results Three indicators were identified: (i) the percentage difference between the observed and the expected haemophilia A incidence, which would be close to null when all of the people with haemophilia A (PWHA) theoretically expected in a country would be known and reported to the AGS; (ii) the percentage of the total number of PWHA with severe disease; and (iii) the ratio of adults to children among PWHA standardized to the ratio of adults to children for males in the general population, which would be close to one if the survival of PWHA is equal to that of the general population. Country-specific values have been calculated for the 10 countries. Conclusions We have identified and evaluated three promising indicators of quality of care in haemophilia. Further evaluation on a wider set of data from the AGS will be needed to confirm their value and further explore their measurement properties. PMID:27928881

  15. Rating educational quality: factors in the erosion of professional standards.

    PubMed

    Albanese, M

    1999-06-01

    Changes in the health care environment are putting increasing pressure on medical schools to make faculty accountable and to document the quality of the medical education they provide. Faculty's ratings of students' performances and students' ratings of faculty's teaching are important elements in these efforts to document educational quality. This article discusses selected research related to factors affecting raters' judgments, analyzes how changes in the health care environment are influencing such judgments, and links these influences to the system that upholds professional standards. Ratings are known to have a positive bias (generosity error), provide limited discrimination, and often fail to document serious deficits. The potential sources of these problems relate to the mechanics of the rating task, the system used to obtain ratings, and factors affecting rater judgment. As managed care demands reduce the time faculty have for teaching, as system-wide disincentives to provide negative ratings proliferate, and as social engineering challenges, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, impose differential standards for students, the natural tendency to avoid giving negative ratings becomes even harder to resist. Ultimately, these forces compromise the capability of faculty to uphold the standards of the profession. The author calls for a national effort to stem the erosion of those standards.

  16. Solving the Problem: Genome Annotation Standards before the Data Deluge.

    PubMed

    Klimke, William; O'Donovan, Claire; White, Owen; Brister, J Rodney; Clark, Karen; Fedorov, Boris; Mizrachi, Ilene; Pruitt, Kim D; Tatusova, Tatiana

    2011-10-15

    The promise of genome sequencing was that the vast undiscovered country would be mapped out by comparison of the multitude of sequences available and would aid researchers in deciphering the role of each gene in every organism. Researchers recognize that there is a need for high quality data. However, different annotation procedures, numerous databases, and a diminishing percentage of experimentally determined gene functions have resulted in a spectrum of annotation quality. NCBI in collaboration with sequencing centers, archival databases, and researchers, has developed the first international annotation standards, a fundamental step in ensuring that high quality complete prokaryotic genomes are available as gold standard references. Highlights include the development of annotation assessment tools, community acceptance of protein naming standards, comparison of annotation resources to provide consistent annotation, and improved tracking of the evidence used to generate a particular annotation. The development of a set of minimal standards, including the requirement for annotated complete prokaryotic genomes to contain a full set of ribosomal RNAs, transfer RNAs, and proteins encoding core conserved functions, is an historic milestone. The use of these standards in existing genomes and future submissions will increase the quality of databases, enabling researchers to make accurate biological discoveries.

  17. The Standard of Quality for HEIs in Vietnam: A Step in the Right Direction?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tran, Nga D.; Nguyen, Thanh T.; Nguyen, My T. N.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical analysis of the Standard of Quality for higher education institutions in Vietnam which was developed in response to an urgent call for a fundamental reform to enhance the quality of educational provision, particularly of teaching and learning. Design/methodology/approach: The standard and…

  18. The CIQG International Quality Principles: Toward a Shared Understanding of Quality. CIQG Publication Series

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Uvalic-Trumbic, Stamenka

    2016-01-01

    The idea of developing International Quality Principles emerged from a dialogue and debate among colleagues from many countries at the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) International Quality Group (CIQG) 2014 Annual Meeting. The discussion focused on whether a single set of international standards for academic quality in higher…

  19. [Study on seed quality test and quality standard of Pesudostellaria heterophylla].

    PubMed

    Xiao, Cheng-Hong; Zhou, Tao; Jiang, Wei-Ke; Chen, Min; Xiong, Hou-Xi; Liao, Ming-Wu

    2014-08-01

    Referring to the rules for agricultural seed testing (GB /T 3543-1995) issued by China, the test of sampling, seed purity, weight per 1 000 seeds, seed moisture, seed viability and germination rate had been studied for screening seed quality test methods of Pesudostellaria heterophylla. The seed quality from different collection areas was measured. The results showed that at least 6.5 g seeds should be sampled and passed through 10-mesh sieve for purity analysis. The weight of 1 000 seeds was determined by using the 500-seed method. The phenotypic observation and size measurement were used for authenticity testing. The seed moisture was determined under the higher temperature (130 ± 2) degrees C for 5 hours. The seeds were dipped into 0.2% TTC sustaining 1 hour at 40 degrees C, then the viability could be determined. The break dormancy seeds were cultured on sand at 10 degrees C. K cluster analysis was applied for the data analysis, the seed quality from different collection areas grading of P. Heterophylla was described as three grades. The seed quality of each grade should reach following requirements: for first grade seeds, germination rate ≥ 86%, 1 000-grain weight ≥ 2.59 g, purity ≥ 87%, moisture ≤ 13.1%; for second grade seeds, germination rate ≥ 70%, 1 000-grain weight ≥ 2.40 g, purity ≥ 77%, moisture ≤ 14.3%; for third grade seeds, germination rate ≥ 41%, 1 000-grain weight ≥ 2.29 g, purity ≥ 76%, moisture ≤ 15.8%. The seed testing methods for quality items of P. heterophylla had been initially established, as well as the primary P. heterophylla seed quality classification standard.

  20. Russian Higher Education and European Standards of Quality Assurance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Motova, Galina; Pykko, Ritta

    2012-01-01

    This article considers the relevance and implementation of European approaches to quality assurance in the context of the Russian educational system. It covers the issues of transformation of the higher education system during the post-Soviet period, specific features of the state accreditation system, the impact of the European Standards and…

  1. Low-Quality Housing Is Associated With Increased Risk of Malaria Infection: A National Population-Based Study From the Low Transmission Setting of Swaziland.

    PubMed

    Dlamini, Nomcebo; Hsiang, Michelle S; Ntshalintshali, Nyasatu; Pindolia, Deepa; Allen, Regan; Nhlabathi, Nomcebo; Novotny, Joseph; Kang Dufour, Mi-Suk; Midekisa, Alemayehu; Gosling, Roly; LeMenach, Arnaud; Cohen, Justin; Dorsey, Grant; Greenhouse, Bryan; Kunene, Simon

    2017-01-01

    Low-quality housing may confer risk of malaria infection, but evidence in low transmission settings is limited. To examine the relationship between individual level housing quality and locally acquired infection in children and adults, a population-based cross-sectional analysis was performed using existing surveillance data from the low transmission setting of Swaziland. From 2012 to 2015, cases were identified through standard diagnostics in health facilities and by loop-mediated isothermal amplification in active surveillance, with uninfected subjects being household members and neighbors. Housing was visually assessed in a home visit and then classified as low, high, or medium quality, based on housing components being traditional, modern, or both, respectively. Overall, 11426 individuals were included in the study: 10960 uninfected and 466 infected (301 symptomatic and 165 asymptomatic). Six percent resided in low-quality houses, 26% in medium-quality houses, and 68% in high-quality houses. In adjusted models, low- and medium-quality construction was associated with increased risk of malaria compared with high-quality construction (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.11 and 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26-3.53 for low vs high; AOR, 1.56 and 95% CI, 1.15-2.11 for medium vs high). The relationship was independent of vector control, which also conferred a protective effect (AOR, 0.67; 95% CI, .50-.90) for sleeping under an insecticide-treated bed net or a sprayed structure compared with neither. Our study adds to the limited literature on housing quality and malaria risk from low transmission settings. Housing improvements may offer an attractive and sustainable additional strategy to support countries in malaria elimination. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.

  2. Standard fire behavior fuel models: a comprehensive set for use with Rothermel's surface fire spread model

    Treesearch

    Joe H. Scott; Robert E. Burgan

    2005-01-01

    This report describes a new set of standard fire behavior fuel models for use with Rothermel's surface fire spread model and the relationship of the new set to the original set of 13 fire behavior fuel models. To assist with transition to using the new fuel models, a fuel model selection guide, fuel model crosswalk, and set of fuel model photos are provided.

  3. [Prediction of the total Japanese cedar pollen counts based on male flower-setting conditions of standard trees].

    PubMed

    Yuta, Atsushi; Ukai, Kotaro; Sakakura, Yasuo; Tani, Hideshi; Matsuda, Fukiko; Yang, Tian-qun; Majima, Yuichi

    2002-07-01

    We made a prediction of the Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) pollen counts at Tsu city based on male flower-setting conditions of standard trees. The 69 standard trees from 23 kinds of clones, planted at Mie Prefecture Science and Technology Promotion Center (Hakusan, Mie) in 1964, were selected. Male flower-setting conditions for 276 faces (69 trees x 4 points of the compass) were scored from 0 to 3. The average of scores and total pollen counts from 1988 to 2000 was analyzed. As the results, the average scores from standard trees and total pollen counts except two mass pollen-scattered years in 1995 and 2000 had a positive correlation (r = 0.914) by linear function. On the mass pollen-scattered years, pollen counts were influenced from the previous year. Therefore, the score of the present year minus that of the previous year were used for analysis. The average scores from male flower-setting conditions and pollen counts had a strong positive correlation (r = 0.994) when positive scores by taking account of the previous year were analyzed. We conclude that prediction of pollen counts are possible based on the male flower-setting conditions of standard trees.

  4. Setting Standards: Confronting Paradox.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Doecke, Brenton; Gill, Margaret

    2001-01-01

    Discusses implications of the issues of continuity and discontinuity, commonality and difference, congruity and paradox as they engage the research team, the industry partners, and the teachers around Australia who constitute the STELLA (Standards for Teachers of English Language and Literacy in Australia) project. (RS)

  5. An Investigation of Undefined Cut Scores with the Hofstee Standard-Setting Method

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wyse, Adam E.; Babcock, Ben

    2017-01-01

    This article provides an overview of the Hofstee standard-setting method and illustrates several situations where the Hofstee method will produce undefined cut scores. The situations where the cut scores will be undefined involve cases where the line segment derived from the Hofstee ratings does not intersect the score distribution curve based on…

  6. EuroFlow standardization of flow cytometer instrument settings and immunophenotyping protocols

    PubMed Central

    Kalina, T; Flores-Montero, J; van der Velden, V H J; Martin-Ayuso, M; Böttcher, S; Ritgen, M; Almeida, J; Lhermitte, L; Asnafi, V; Mendonça, A; de Tute, R; Cullen, M; Sedek, L; Vidriales, M B; Pérez, J J; te Marvelde, J G; Mejstrikova, E; Hrusak, O; Szczepański, T; van Dongen, J J M; Orfao, A

    2012-01-01

    The EU-supported EuroFlow Consortium aimed at innovation and standardization of immunophenotyping for diagnosis and classification of hematological malignancies by introducing 8-color flow cytometry with fully standardized laboratory procedures and antibody panels in order to achieve maximally comparable results among different laboratories. This required the selection of optimal combinations of compatible fluorochromes and the design and evaluation of adequate standard operating procedures (SOPs) for instrument setup, fluorescence compensation and sample preparation. Additionally, we developed software tools for the evaluation of individual antibody reagents and antibody panels. Each section describes what has been evaluated experimentally versus adopted based on existing data and experience. Multicentric evaluation demonstrated high levels of reproducibility based on strict implementation of the EuroFlow SOPs and antibody panels. Overall, the 6 years of extensive collaborative experiments and the analysis of hundreds of cell samples of patients and healthy controls in the EuroFlow centers have provided for the first time laboratory protocols and software tools for fully standardized 8-color flow cytometric immunophenotyping of normal and malignant leukocytes in bone marrow and blood; this has yielded highly comparable data sets, which can be integrated in a single database. PMID:22948490

  7. Model for selecting quality standards for a salad bar through identifying elements of customer satisfaction.

    PubMed

    Ouellet, D; Norback, J P

    1993-11-01

    Continuous quality improvement is the new requirement of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. This means that meeting quality standards will not be enough. Dietitians will need to improve those standards and the way they are selected. Because quality is defined in terms of the customers, all quality improvement projects must start by defining what customers want. Using a salad bar as an example, this article presents and illustrates a technique developed in Japan to identify which elements in a product or service will satisfy or dissatisfy consumers. Using a model and a questionnaire format developed by Kano and coworkers, 273 students were surveyed to classify six quality elements of a salad bar. Four elements showed a dominant "must-be" characteristic: food freshness, labeling of the dressings, no spills in the food, and no spills on the salad bar. The two other elements (food easy to reach and food variety) showed a dominant one-dimensional characteristic. By better understanding consumer perceptions of quality elements, foodservice managers can select quality standards that focus on what really matters to their consumers.

  8. AN APPROACH FOR EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VARIOUS OZONE AIR QUALITY STANDARDS FOR PROTECTING TREES

    EPA Science Inventory

    We demonstrate an approach for evaluating the level of protection attained using a variety of forms and levels of past, current, and proposed Air Quality Standards (AQSs). The U.S. Clean Air Act requires the establishment of ambient air quality standards to protect health and pub...

  9. Patient Safety: Moving the Bar in Prison Health Care Standards

    PubMed Central

    Greifinger, Robert B.; Mellow, Jeff

    2010-01-01

    Improvements in community health care quality through error reduction have been slow to transfer to correctional settings. We convened a panel of correctional experts, which recommended 60 patient safety standards focusing on such issues as creating safety cultures at organizational, supervisory, and staff levels through changes to policy and training and by ensuring staff competency, reducing medication errors, encouraging the seamless transfer of information between and within practice settings, and developing mechanisms to detect errors or near misses and to shift the emphasis from blaming staff to fixing systems. To our knowledge, this is the first published set of standards focusing on patient safety in prisons, adapted from the emerging literature on quality improvement in the community. PMID:20864714

  10. Improving the safety and quality of nursing care through standardized operating procedures in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

    PubMed

    Ausserhofer, Dietmar; Rakic, Severin; Novo, Ahmed; Dropic, Emira; Fisekovic, Eldin; Sredic, Ana; Van Malderen, Greet

    2016-06-01

    We explored how selected 'positive deviant' healthcare facilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina approach the continuous development, adaptation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of nursing-related standard operating procedures. Standardized nursing care is internationally recognized as a critical element of safe, high-quality health care; yet very little research has examined one of its key instruments: nursing-related standard operating procedures. Despite variability in Bosnia and Herzegovina's healthcare and nursing care quality, we assumed that some healthcare facilities would have developed effective strategies to elevate nursing quality and safety through the use of standard operating procedures. Guided by the 'positive deviance' approach, we used a multiple-case study design to examine a criterion sample of four facilities (two primary healthcare centres and two hospitals), collecting data via focus groups and individual interviews. In each studied facility, certification/accreditation processes were crucial to the initiation of continuous development, adaptation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of nursing-related SOPs. In one hospital and one primary healthcare centre, nurses working in advanced roles (i.e. quality coordinators) were responsible for developing and implementing nursing-related standard operating procedures. Across the four studied institutions, we identified a consistent approach to standard operating procedures-related processes. The certification/accreditation process is enabling necessary changes in institutions' organizational cultures, empowering nurses to take on advanced roles in improving the safety and quality of nursing care. Standardizing nursing procedures is key to improve the safety and quality of nursing care. Nursing and Health Policy are needed in Bosnia and Herzegovina to establish a functioning institutional framework, including regulatory bodies, educational systems for developing nurses' capacities or the

  11. A direct sensitivity approach to predict hourly ozone resulting from compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standard.

    PubMed

    Simon, Heather; Baker, Kirk R; Akhtar, Farhan; Napelenok, Sergey L; Possiel, Norm; Wells, Benjamin; Timin, Brian

    2013-03-05

    In setting primary ambient air quality standards, the EPA's responsibility under the law is to establish standards that protect public health. As part of the current review of the ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS), the US EPA evaluated the health exposure and risks associated with ambient ozone pollution using a statistical approach to adjust recent air quality to simulate just meeting the current standard level, without specifying emission control strategies. One drawback of this purely statistical concentration rollback approach is that it does not take into account spatial and temporal heterogeneity of ozone response to emissions changes. The application of the higher-order decoupled direct method (HDDM) in the community multiscale air quality (CMAQ) model is discussed here to provide an example of a methodology that could incorporate this variability into the risk assessment analyses. Because this approach includes a full representation of the chemical production and physical transport of ozone in the atmosphere, it does not require assumed background concentrations, which have been applied to constrain estimates from past statistical techniques. The CMAQ-HDDM adjustment approach is extended to measured ozone concentrations by determining typical sensitivities at each monitor location and hour of the day based on a linear relationship between first-order sensitivities and hourly ozone values. This approach is demonstrated by modeling ozone responses for monitor locations in Detroit and Charlotte to domain-wide reductions in anthropogenic NOx and VOCs emissions. As seen in previous studies, ozone response calculated using HDDM compared well to brute-force emissions changes up to approximately a 50% reduction in emissions. A new stepwise approach is developed here to apply this method to emissions reductions beyond 50% allowing for the simulation of more stringent reductions in ozone concentrations. Compared to previous rollback methods, this

  12. Investigation of Two Models to Set and Evaluate Quality Targets for HbA1c: Biological Variation and Sigma-metrics

    PubMed Central

    Weykamp, Cas; John, Garry; Gillery, Philippe; English, Emma; Ji, Linong; Lenters-Westra, Erna; Little, Randie R.; Roglic, Gojka; Sacks, David B.; Takei, Izumi

    2016-01-01

    Background A major objective of the IFCC Task Force on implementation of HbA1c standardization is to develop a model to define quality targets for HbA1c. Methods Two generic models, the Biological Variation and Sigma-metrics model, are investigated. Variables in the models were selected for HbA1c and data of EQA/PT programs were used to evaluate the suitability of the models to set and evaluate quality targets within and between laboratories. Results In the biological variation model 48% of individual laboratories and none of the 26 instrument groups met the minimum performance criterion. In the Sigma-metrics model, with a total allowable error (TAE) set at 5 mmol/mol (0.46% NGSP) 77% of the individual laboratories and 12 of 26 instrument groups met the 2 sigma criterion. Conclusion The Biological Variation and Sigma-metrics model were demonstrated to be suitable for setting and evaluating quality targets within and between laboratories. The Sigma-metrics model is more flexible as both the TAE and the risk of failure can be adjusted to requirements related to e.g. use for diagnosis/monitoring or requirements of (inter)national authorities. With the aim of reaching international consensus on advice regarding quality targets for HbA1c, the Task Force suggests the Sigma-metrics model as the model of choice with default values of 5 mmol/mol (0.46%) for TAE, and risk levels of 2 and 4 sigma for routine laboratories and laboratories performing clinical trials, respectively. These goals should serve as a starting point for discussion with international stakeholders in the field of diabetes. PMID:25737535

  13. 40 CFR 50.6 - National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for PM10.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false National primary and secondary ambient... AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS NATIONAL PRIMARY AND SECONDARY AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS § 50.6 National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for PM10. (a) The level of the national...

  14. On the relationship between cumulative correlation coefficients and the quality of crystallographic data sets.

    PubMed

    Wang, Jimin; Brudvig, Gary W; Batista, Victor S; Moore, Peter B

    2017-12-01

    In 2012, Karplus and Diederichs demonstrated that the Pearson correlation coefficient CC 1/2 is a far better indicator of the quality and resolution of crystallographic data sets than more traditional measures like merging R-factor or signal-to-noise ratio. More specifically, they proposed that CC 1/2 be computed for data sets in thin shells of increasing resolution so that the resolution dependence of that quantity can be examined. Recently, however, the CC 1/2 values of entire data sets, i.e., cumulative correlation coefficients, have been used as a measure of data quality. Here, we show that the difference in cumulative CC 1/2 value between a data set that has been accurately measured and a data set that has not is likely to be small. Furthermore, structures obtained by molecular replacement from poorly measured data sets are likely to suffer from extreme model bias. © 2017 The Protein Society.

  15. DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS FOR AIR QUALITY MONITORING AND CONTROL

    EPA Science Inventory

    This report presents a description of the activities and accomplishments of the American Society for Testing and Materials' U. S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to the International Standards Organization's Technical Committee 146 on Air Quality. The purpose of the TAG is to re...

  16. Reliable measurement of E. coli single cell fluorescence distribution using a standard microscope set-up.

    PubMed

    Cortesi, Marilisa; Bandiera, Lucia; Pasini, Alice; Bevilacqua, Alessandro; Gherardi, Alessandro; Furini, Simone; Giordano, Emanuele

    2017-01-01

    Quantifying gene expression at single cell level is fundamental for the complete characterization of synthetic gene circuits, due to the significant impact of noise and inter-cellular variability on the system's functionality. Commercial set-ups that allow the acquisition of fluorescent signal at single cell level (flow cytometers or quantitative microscopes) are expensive apparatuses that are hardly affordable by small laboratories. A protocol that makes a standard optical microscope able to acquire quantitative, single cell, fluorescent data from a bacterial population transformed with synthetic gene circuitry is presented. Single cell fluorescence values, acquired with a microscope set-up and processed with custom-made software, are compared with results that were obtained with a flow cytometer in a bacterial population transformed with the same gene circuitry. The high correlation between data from the two experimental set-ups, with a correlation coefficient computed over the tested dynamic range > 0.99, proves that a standard optical microscope- when coupled with appropriate software for image processing- might be used for quantitative single-cell fluorescence measurements. The calibration of the set-up, together with its validation, is described. The experimental protocol described in this paper makes quantitative measurement of single cell fluorescence accessible to laboratories equipped with standard optical microscope set-ups. Our method allows for an affordable measurement/quantification of intercellular variability, whose better understanding of this phenomenon will improve our comprehension of cellular behaviors and the design of synthetic gene circuits. All the required software is freely available to the synthetic biology community (MUSIQ Microscope flUorescence SIngle cell Quantification).

  17. Setting Standards for Reporting and Quantification in Fluorescence-Guided Surgery.

    PubMed

    Hoogstins, Charlotte; Burggraaf, Jan Jaap; Koller, Marjory; Handgraaf, Henricus; Boogerd, Leonora; van Dam, Gooitzen; Vahrmeijer, Alexander; Burggraaf, Jacobus

    2018-05-29

    Intraoperative fluorescence imaging (FI) is a promising technique that could potentially guide oncologic surgeons toward more radical resections and thus improve clinical outcome. Despite the increase in the number of clinical trials, fluorescent agents and imaging systems for intraoperative FI, a standardized approach for imaging system performance assessment and post-acquisition image analysis is currently unavailable. We conducted a systematic, controlled comparison between two commercially available imaging systems using a novel calibration device for FI systems and various fluorescent agents. In addition, we analyzed fluorescence images from previous studies to evaluate signal-to-background ratio (SBR) and determinants of SBR. Using the calibration device, imaging system performance could be quantified and compared, exposing relevant differences in sensitivity. Image analysis demonstrated a profound influence of background noise and the selection of the background on SBR. In this article, we suggest clear approaches for the quantification of imaging system performance assessment and post-acquisition image analysis, attempting to set new standards in the field of FI.

  18. Quality geriatric care as perceived by nurses in long-term and acute care settings.

    PubMed

    Barba, Beth Ellen; Hu, Jie; Efird, Jimmy

    2012-03-01

    This study focused on differences in nurses' satisfaction with the quality of care of older people and with organisational characteristics and work environment in acute care and long-term care settings. Numerous studies have explored links between nurses' satisfaction with care and work environments on the one hand and a variety of physical, behavioural and psychological reactions of nurses on the other. One key to keeping nurses in the workplace is a better understanding of nurses' satisfaction with the quality of care they provide. Descriptive design. The self-selected sample included 298 registered nurses and licensed practical nurses who provide care to minority, underserved and disadvantaged older populations in 89 long-term care and <100 bed hospitals in 38 rural counties and eight metropolitan areas in a Southern state. All completed the Agency Geriatric Nursing Care survey, which consisted of a 13-item scale measuring nurses' satisfaction with the quality of geriatric care in their practice settings and an 11-item scale examining obstacles to providing quality geriatric care. Demographic variables were compared with chi-square. Independent t-tests were used to examine differences between nurses in long-term care and acute care settings. Significant differences were found in level of satisfaction and perceived obstacles to providing quality care to older adults between participants from acute and long-term care. Participants in long-term care had greater satisfaction with the quality of geriatric care than those in acute facilities. Nurses in long-term care were more satisfied that care was evidence-based; specialised to individual needs of older adults; promoted autonomy and independence of elders; and was continuous across settings. Participants in acute facilities perceived more obstacles to providing quality geriatric care than nurses in long-term care facilities. Modification of hospital geriatric practice environments and leadership commitment to

  19. Standards of Multimedia Graphic Design in Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aldalalah, Osamah Ahmad; Ababneh, Ziad Waleed Mohamed

    2015-01-01

    This study aims to determine Standards of Multimedia Graphic Design in Education through the analysis of the theoretical basis and previous studies related to this subject. This study has identified the list of standards of Multimedia, Graphic Design, each of which has a set indicator through which the quality of Multimedia can be evaluated in…

  20. Solving the Problem: Genome Annotation Standards before the Data Deluge

    PubMed Central

    Klimke, William; O'Donovan, Claire; White, Owen; Brister, J. Rodney; Clark, Karen; Fedorov, Boris; Mizrachi, Ilene; Pruitt, Kim D.; Tatusova, Tatiana

    2011-01-01

    The promise of genome sequencing was that the vast undiscovered country would be mapped out by comparison of the multitude of sequences available and would aid researchers in deciphering the role of each gene in every organism. Researchers recognize that there is a need for high quality data. However, different annotation procedures, numerous databases, and a diminishing percentage of experimentally determined gene functions have resulted in a spectrum of annotation quality. NCBI in collaboration with sequencing centers, archival databases, and researchers, has developed the first international annotation standards, a fundamental step in ensuring that high quality complete prokaryotic genomes are available as gold standard references. Highlights include the development of annotation assessment tools, community acceptance of protein naming standards, comparison of annotation resources to provide consistent annotation, and improved tracking of the evidence used to generate a particular annotation. The development of a set of minimal standards, including the requirement for annotated complete prokaryotic genomes to contain a full set of ribosomal RNAs, transfer RNAs, and proteins encoding core conserved functions, is an historic milestone. The use of these standards in existing genomes and future submissions will increase the quality of databases, enabling researchers to make accurate biological discoveries. PMID:22180819

  1. 40 CFR 131.8 - Requirements for Indian Tribes to administer a water quality standards program.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Requirements for Indian Tribes to administer a water quality standards program. 131.8 Section 131.8 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS WATER QUALITY STANDARDS General Provisions § 131.8 Requirements for Indian Tribes to administer a wate...

  2. 40 CFR 131.8 - Requirements for Indian Tribes to administer a water quality standards program.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 21 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Requirements for Indian Tribes to administer a water quality standards program. 131.8 Section 131.8 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS WATER QUALITY STANDARDS General Provisions § 131.8 Requirements for Indian Tribes to administer a wate...

  3. Amendment of water quality standards in China: viewpoint on strategic considerations.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Xiaoli; Wang, Hao; Tang, Zhi; Zhao, Tianhui; Qin, Ning; Li, Huixian; Wu, Fengchang; Giesy, John P

    2018-02-01

    Water quality standards (WQS) are the most important tool for protection of quality of aquatic environments in China and play a decisive role in the management of China's aquatic environments. Due to limited scientific information available previously, WQS were developed largely based on water quality criteria (WQC) or WQS recommended by developed countries, which may not be suitable for current circumstances in China. The Chinese government recently initiated the revision of Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water (EQSSW) (GB3838-2002) to meet the challenge of environmental protection. This review analyzed how the WQS developed and applied in China differ from those of more developed countries and pointed out that the lack of strong scientific bases for China's WQC pose major limitations of current WQS. We focus on discussing the six aspects that require high attention on how to establish a national WQC system to support the revision of WQS (Table 1) such as development of methodology, refining water function zoning, establish priority pollutants list, improving protection drinking water sources, development of site-specific water quality criteria, and field toxicity test. It is essential that China and other developing countries established a relatively mature system for promulgating, applying, and enforcing WQC and to implement a dynamic system to incorporate most recent research results into periodically updated WQS.

  4. Orthopaedic surgery in natural disaster and conflict settings: how can quality care be ensured?

    PubMed

    Alvarado, Oscar; Trelles, Miguel; Tayler-Smith, Katie; Joseph, Holdine; Gesline, Rodné; Wilna, Thélusma Eli; Mohammad Omar, Mohammad Karim; Faiz Mohammad, Niaz Mohammad; Muhima Mastaki, John; Chingumwa Buhu, Richard; Caluwaerts, An; Dominguez, Lynette

    2015-10-01

    Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) is one of the main providers of orthopaedic surgery in natural disaster and conflict settings and strictly imposes a minimum set of context-specific standards before any surgery can be performed. Based on MSF's experience of performing orthopaedic surgery in a number of such settings, we describe: (a) whether it was possible to implement the minimum standards for one of the more rigorous orthopaedic procedures--internal fixation--and when possible, the time frame, (b) the volume and type of interventions performed and (c) the intra-operative mortality rates and postoperative infection rates. We conducted a retrospective review of routine programme data collected between 2007 and 2014 from three MSF emergency surgical interventions in Haiti (following the 2010 earthquake) and three ongoing MSF projects in Kunduz (Afghanistan), Masisi (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Tabarre (Haiti). The minimum standards for internal fixation were achieved in one emergency intervention site in Haiti, and in Kunduz and Tabarre, taking up to 18 months to implement in Kunduz. All sites achieved the minimum standards to perform amputations, reductions and external fixations, with a total of 9,409 orthopaedic procedures performed during the study period. Intraoperative mortality rates ranged from 0.6 to 1.9 % and postoperative infection rates from 2.4 to 3.5 %. In settings affected by natural disaster or conflict, a high volume and wide repertoire of orthopaedic surgical procedures can be performed with good outcomes when minimum standards are in place. More demanding procedures like internal fixation may not always be feasible.

  5. Rationale and development of an on-line quality assurance programme for colposcopy in a population-based cervical screening setting in Italy.

    PubMed

    Bucchi, Lauro; Cristiani, Paolo; Costa, Silvano; Schincaglia, Patrizia; Garutti, Paola; Sassoli de Bianchi, Priscilla; Naldoni, Carlo; Olea, Oswaldo; Sideri, Mario

    2013-06-28

    Colposcopy, the key step in the management of women with abnormal Pap smear results, is a visual technique prone to observer variation, which implies the need for prolonged apprenticeship, continuous training, and quality assurance (QA) measures. Colposcopy QA programmes vary in level of responsibility of organizing subjects, geographic coverage, scope, model, and type of actions. The programmes addressing the clinical standards of colposcopy (quality of examination and appropriateness of clinical decisions) are more limited in space and less sustainable over time than those focused on the provision of the service (resources, accessibility, etc.). This article reports on the protocol of a QA programme targeting the clinical quality of colposcopy in a population-based cervical screening service in an administrative region of northern Italy. After a situation analysis of local colposcopy audit practices and previous QA initiatives, a permanent web-based QA programme was developed. The design places more emphasis on providing education and feedback to participants than on testing them. The technical core is a log-in web application accessible on the website of the regional Administration. The primary objectives are to provide (1) a practical opportunity for retraining of screening colposcopists, and (2) a platform for them to interact with colposcopists from other settings and regions through exchange and discussion of digital colposcopic images. The retraining function is based on repeated QA sessions in which the registered colposcopists log-in, classify a posted set of colpophotographs, and receive on line a set of personal feedback data. Each session ends with a plenary seminar featuring the presentation of overall results and an interactive review of the test set of colpophotographs. This is meant to be a forum for an open exchange of views that may lead to more knowledge and more diagnostic homogeneity. The protocol includes the criteria for selection of

  6. Rationale and development of an on-line quality assurance programme for colposcopy in a population-based cervical screening setting in Italy

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Colposcopy, the key step in the management of women with abnormal Pap smear results, is a visual technique prone to observer variation, which implies the need for prolonged apprenticeship, continuous training, and quality assurance (QA) measures. Colposcopy QA programmes vary in level of responsibility of organizing subjects, geographic coverage, scope, model, and type of actions. The programmes addressing the clinical standards of colposcopy (quality of examination and appropriateness of clinical decisions) are more limited in space and less sustainable over time than those focused on the provision of the service (resources, accessibility, etc.). This article reports on the protocol of a QA programme targeting the clinical quality of colposcopy in a population-based cervical screening service in an administrative region of northern Italy. Methods/design After a situation analysis of local colposcopy audit practices and previous QA initiatives, a permanent web-based QA programme was developed. The design places more emphasis on providing education and feedback to participants than on testing them. The technical core is a log-in web application accessible on the website of the regional Administration. The primary objectives are to provide (1) a practical opportunity for retraining of screening colposcopists, and (2) a platform for them to interact with colposcopists from other settings and regions through exchange and discussion of digital colposcopic images. The retraining function is based on repeated QA sessions in which the registered colposcopists log-in, classify a posted set of colpophotographs, and receive on line a set of personal feedback data. Each session ends with a plenary seminar featuring the presentation of overall results and an interactive review of the test set of colpophotographs. This is meant to be a forum for an open exchange of views that may lead to more knowledge and more diagnostic homogeneity. The protocol includes the

  7. Cost-effectiveness of omalizumab add-on to standard-of-care therapy in patients with uncontrolled severe allergic asthma in a Brazilian healthcare setting.

    PubMed

    Suzuki, Cibele; Lopes da Silva, Nilceia; Kumar, Praveen; Pathak, Purnima; Ong, Siew Hwa

    2017-08-01

    Omalizumab add-on to standard-of-care therapy has proven to be efficacious in severe asthma patients for whom exacerbations cannot be controlled otherwise. Moreover, evidence from different healthcare settings suggests reduced healthcare resource utilization with omalizumab. Based on these findings, this study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of the addition of omalizumab to standard-of-care therapy in patients with uncontrolled severe allergic asthma in a Brazilian healthcare setting. A previously published Markov model was adapted using Brazil-specific unit costs to compare the costs and outcomes of the addition of omalizumab to standard-of-care therapy vs standard-of-care therapy alone. Model inputs were largely based on the eXpeRience study. Costs and health outcomes were calculated for lifetime-years and were annually discounted at 5%. Both one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. An additional cost of R$280,400 for 5.20 additional quality-adjusted life-years was estimated with the addition of omalizumab to standard-of-care therapy, resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of R$53,890. One-way sensitivity analysis indicated that discount rates, standard-of-care therapy exacerbation rates, and exacerbation-related mortality rates had the largest impact on incremental cost-effectiveness ratios. Assumptions of lifetime treatment adherence and rate of future exacerbations, independent of previous events, might affect the findings. The lack of Brazilian patients in the eXpeRience study may affect the findings, although sample size and baseline characteristics suggest that the modeled population closely resembles Brazilian severe allergic asthma patients. Results indicate that omalizumab as an add-on therapy is more cost-effective than standard-of-care therapy alone for Brazilian patients with uncontrolled severe allergic asthma, based on the World Health Organization's cost-effectiveness threshold of up to 3-times the gross

  8. Effectiveness of the standard and an alternative set of Streptococcus pneumoniae multi locus sequence typing primers.

    PubMed

    Adamiak, Paul; Vanderkooi, Otto G; Kellner, James D; Schryvers, Anthony B; Bettinger, Julie A; Alcantara, Joenel

    2014-06-03

    Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) is a portable, broadly applicable method for classifying bacterial isolates at an intra-species level. This methodology provides clinical and scientific investigators with a standardized means of monitoring evolution within bacterial populations. MLST uses the DNA sequences from a set of genes such that each unique combination of sequences defines an isolate's sequence type. In order to reliably determine the sequence of a typing gene, matching sequence reads for both strands of the gene must be obtained. This study assesses the ability of both the standard, and an alternative set of, Streptococcus pneumoniae MLST primers to completely sequence, in both directions, the required typing alleles. The results demonstrated that for five (aroE, recP, spi, xpt, ddl) of the seven S. pneumoniae typing alleles, the standard primers were unable to obtain the complete forward and reverse sequences. This is due to the standard primers annealing too closely to the target regions, and current sequencing technology failing to sequence the bases that are too close to the primer. The alternative primer set described here, which includes a combination of primers proposed by the CDC and several designed as part of this study, addresses this limitation by annealing to highly conserved segments further from the target region. This primer set was subsequently employed to sequence type 105 S. pneumoniae isolates collected by the Canadian Immunization Monitoring Program ACTive (IMPACT) over a period of 18 years. The inability of several of the standard S. pneumoniae MLST primers to fully sequence the required region was consistently observed and is the result of a shift in sequencing technology occurring after the original primers were designed. The results presented here introduce clear documentation describing this phenomenon into the literature, and provide additional guidance, through the introduction of a widely validated set of alternative

  9. Consistency of Angoff-Based Standard-Setting Judgments: Are Item Judgments and Passing Scores Replicable across Different Panels of Experts?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tannenbaum, Richard J.; Kannan, Priya

    2015-01-01

    Angoff-based standard setting is widely used, especially for high-stakes licensure assessments. Nonetheless, some critics have claimed that the judgment task is too cognitively complex for panelists, whereas others have explicitly challenged the consistency in (replicability of) standard-setting outcomes. Evidence of consistency in item judgments…

  10. 76 FR 7096 - Minimum Quality and Handling Standards for Domestic and Imported Peanuts Marketed in the United...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-09

    ...). Accordingly, AMS published a notice of review and request for written comments on the Standards in the April...; FV10-996-610 Review] Minimum Quality and Handling Standards for Domestic and Imported Peanuts Marketed... the Minimum Quality and Handling Standards for Domestic and Imported Peanuts Marketed in the United...

  11. 77 FR 30087 - Air Quality Designations for the 2008 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-21

    ...This rule establishes initial air quality designations for most areas in the United States, including areas of Indian country, for the 2008 primary and secondary national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for ozone. The designations for several counties in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin that the EPA is considering for inclusion in the Chicago nonattainment area will be designated in a subsequent action, no later than May 31, 2012. Areas designated as nonattainment are also being classified by operation of law according to the severity of their air quality problems. The classification categories are Marginal, Moderate, Serious, Severe, and Extreme. The EPA is establishing the air quality thresholds that define the classifications in a separate rule that the EPA is signing and publishing in the Federal Register on the same schedule as these designations. In accordance with that separate rule, six nonattainment areas in California are being reclassified to a higher classification.

  12. Putting ISO 9000 Standards and Baldrige Quality Criteria To Work Now in Public Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clark, Don

    1999-01-01

    The National Association for Industry-Education Cooperation (NAIEC) creates an approach for school system improvement that combines the necessary standards for achieving mileposts of the Baldrige Quality Criteria and the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 9000 Standards for Education. Together, the Baldrige Criteria and ISO…

  13. 77 FR 8197 - Implementation of the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: Nonattainment Area...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-14

    ...-AR32 Implementation of the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: Nonattainment Area Classifications Approach, Attainment Deadlines and Revocation of the 1997 Ozone Standards for Transportation... proposing thresholds for classifying nonattainment areas for the 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality...

  14. 75 FR 81477 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Virginia; Amendments to Ambient...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-12-28

    ... Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Virginia; Amendments to Ambient Air Quality Standards for... revision consists of amendments to the Commonwealth of Virginia's ambient air quality standards for... Chapter 30) that contains the ambient air quality standards set out in 40 CFR 50. The SIP revision made...

  15. Analysis of chemistry textbook content and national science education standards in terms of air quality-related learning goals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Naughton, Wendy

    In this study's Phase One, representatives of nine municipal agencies involved in air quality education were interviewed and interview transcripts were analyzed for themes related to what citizens need to know or be able to do regarding air quality concerns. Based on these themes, eight air quality Learning Goal Sets were generated and validated via peer and member checks. In Phase Two, six college-level, liberal-arts chemistry textbooks and the National Science Education Standards (NSES) were analyzed for congruence with Phase One learning goals. Major categories of desired citizen understandings highlighted in agency interviews concerned air pollution sources, impact, detection, and transport. Identified cognitive skills focused on information-gathering and -evaluating skills, enabling informed decision-making. A content match was found between textbooks and air quality learning goals, but most textbooks fail to address learning goals that remediate citizen misconceptions and inabilities---particularly those with a "personal experience" focus. A partial match between NSES and air quality learning goals was attributed to differing foci: Researcher-derived learning goals deal specifically with air quality, while NSES focus is on "fundamental science concepts," not "many science topics." Analysis of findings within a situated cognition framework suggests implications for instruction and NSES revision.

  16. 75 FR 1566 - Public Hearings for Reconsideration of the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-12

    ...-AP98 Public Hearings for Reconsideration of the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone... National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone,'' which was signed on January 6, 2010, and will be.../ttn/naaqs/standards/ozone/s_o3_cr_fr.html for the addresses and detailed instructions for submitting...

  17. Using intranet-based order sets to standardize clinical care and prepare for computerized physician order entry.

    PubMed

    Heffner, John E; Brower, Kathleen; Ellis, Rosemary; Brown, Shirley

    2004-07-01

    The high cost of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) and physician resistance to standardized care have delayed implementation. An intranet-based order set system can provide some of CPOE's benefits and offer opportunities to acculturate physicians toward standardized care. INTRANET CLINICIAN ORDER FORMS (COF): The COF system at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) allows caregivers to enter and print orders through the intranet at points of care and to access decision support resources. Work on COF began in March 2000 with transfer of 25 MUSC paper-based order set forms to an intranet site. Physician groups developed additional order sets, which number more than 200. Web traffic increased progressively during a 24-month period, peaking at more than 6,400 hits per month to COF. Decision support tools improved compliance with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services core indicators. Clinicians demonstrated a willingness to develop and use order sets and decision support tools posted on the COF site. COF provides a low-cost method for preparing caregivers and institutions to adopt CPOE and standardization of care. The educational resources, relevant links to external resources, and communication alerts will all link to CPOE, thereby providing a head start in CPOE implementation.

  18. Quality assurance tendering and awarding contracts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    1994-12-01

    Standards relating to quality control can be significantly useful when tendering for and awarding contracts. However, because it is sometimes difficult to express these standards in palpable economic terms, they can (practically) never be applied as criteria for awarding contracts in accordance with U.A.R. (Uniform General Standards) 1986. Therefore it would be advisable in the future to regard the availability of a (certified) system of quality control as being a standard requirement. To this end, a paragraph setting requirements for a quality control plan should be included in the specification. A quality control plan will be required on awarding a contract. This envisaged scenario can best achieved through a transitional phase. During this period there will be opportunity enough for removing any shortcomings in the wording and for considering standards to be required and assessment procedures.

  19. Standard Setting in Specific-Purpose Language Testing: What Can a Qualitative Study Add?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manias, Elizabeth; McNamara, Tim

    2016-01-01

    This paper explores the views of nursing and medical domain experts in considering the standards for a specific-purpose English language screening test, the Occupational English Test (OET), for professional registration for immigrant health professionals. Since individuals who score performances in the test setting are often language experts…

  20. A Comparison of Standard-Setting Procedures for an OSCE in Undergraduate Medical Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaufman, David M.; Mann, Karen V.; Muijtjens, Arno M. M.; van der Vleuten, Cees P. M.

    2000-01-01

    Compared four standard-setting procedures for an objective structure clinical examination (OSCE) in medical education. Applied Angoff, borderline, relative, and holistic procedures to the data used to establish a cutoff score for a pass/fail decision. The Angoff and borderline procedures gave similar results; however, the relative and holistic…

  1. Combining the Best of Two Standard Setting Methods: The Ordered Item Booklet Angoff

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Russell W.; Davis-Becker, Susan L.; O'Leary, Lisa S.

    2014-01-01

    This article describes a hybrid standard setting method that combines characteristics of the Angoff (1971) and Bookmark (Mitzel, Lewis, Patz & Green, 2001) methods. The proposed approach utilizes strengths of each method while addressing weaknesses. An ordered item booklet, with items sorted based on item difficulty, is used in combination…

  2. Setting a national minimum standard for health benefits: how do state benefit mandates compare with benefits in large-group plans?

    PubMed

    Frey, Allison; Mika, Stephanie; Nuzum, Rachel; Schoen, Cathy

    2009-06-01

    Many proposed health insurance reforms would establish a federal minimum benefit standard--a baseline set of benefits to ensure that people have adequate coverage and financial protection when they purchase insurance. Currently, benefit mandates are set at the state level; these vary greatly across states and generally target specific areas rather than set an overall standard for what qualifies as health insurance. This issue brief considers what a broad federal minimum standard might look like by comparing existing state benefit mandates with the services and providers covered under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) Blue Cross and Blue Shield standard benefit package, an example of minimum creditable coverage that reflects current standard practice among employer-sponsored health plans. With few exceptions, benefits in the FEHBP standard option either meet or exceed those that state mandates require-indicating that a broad-based national benefit standard would include most existing state benefit mandates.

  3. State trends in ecological risk assessment and standard setting

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Siegel, M R; Fowler, K M; Bilyard, G R

    1993-02-01

    The purposes of this paper are (1) to identify key states' activities and plans related to setting cleanup standards using the ecological risk assessment process, and (2) to discuss the impacts these actions may have on the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) environmental restoration program. This report is prepared as part of a larger task, the purpose of which is to identify and assess state regulatory trends and legal developments that may impact DOE's environmental restoration program. Results of this task are intended to provide DOE with advance notice of potentially significant regulatory developments so as to enhance DOE's abilitymore » to influence these developments and to incorporate possible regulatory and policy changes into its planning process.« less

  4. OZONE AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARD HAS BENEFICIAL EFFECT ON PONDEROSA PINE IN CALIFORNIA

    EPA Science Inventory

    Ambient air quality standards and control strategies are implemented to protect humans and vegetation from adverse effects. However, to date there has not been a simple and objective method to determine if the standards and resultant control strategies have reduced O3 impacts on ...

  5. A whole-heart motion-correction algorithm: Effects on CT image quality and diagnostic accuracy of mechanical valve prosthesis abnormalities.

    PubMed

    Suh, Young Joo; Kim, Young Jin; Kim, Jin Young; Chang, Suyon; Im, Dong Jin; Hong, Yoo Jin; Choi, Byoung Wook

    2017-11-01

    We aimed to determine the effect of a whole-heart motion-correction algorithm (new-generation snapshot freeze, NG SSF) on the image quality of cardiac computed tomography (CT) images in patients with mechanical valve prostheses compared to standard images without motion correction and to compare the diagnostic accuracy of NG SSF and standard CT image sets for the detection of prosthetic valve abnormalities. A total of 20 patients with 32 mechanical valves who underwent wide-coverage detector cardiac CT with single-heartbeat acquisition were included. The CT image quality for subvalvular (below the prosthesis) and valvular regions (valve leaflets) of mechanical valves was assessed by two observers on a four-point scale (1 = poor, 2 = fair, 3 = good, and 4 = excellent). Paired t-tests or Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to compare image quality scores and the number of diagnostic phases (image quality score≥3) between the standard image sets and NG SSF image sets. Diagnostic performance for detection of prosthetic valve abnormalities was compared between two image sets with the final diagnosis set by re-operation or clinical findings as the standard reference. NG SSF image sets had better image quality scores than standard image sets for both valvular and subvalvular regions (P < 0.05 for both). The number of phases that were of diagnostic image quality per patient was significantly greater in the NG SSF image set than standard image set for both valvular and subvalvular regions (P < 0.0001). Diagnostic performance of NG SSF image sets for the detection of prosthetic abnormalities (20 pannus and two paravalvular leaks) was greater than that of standard image sets (P < 0.05). Application of NG SSF can improve CT image quality and diagnostic accuracy in patients with mechanical valves compared to standard images. Copyright © 2017 Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. 78 FR 44485 - Implementation of the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: State Implementation...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-24

    ...] Implementation of the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: State Implementation Plan... Rule Regarding ``Implementation of the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: State... ground-level ozone formation. B. What should I consider as I prepare my comments for the EPA? 1...

  7. Biological monitoring and standard setting in the USA: a critical appraisal.

    PubMed

    Rappaport, S M

    1995-05-01

    Occupational exposure limits (OELs) issued in the US by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) require measurements of toxic substances in air rather than in biological samples. Most of OSHA's limits were adopted from the 1968 list of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Values (TLVs). Although there are no formal requirements to monitor exposures to these substances, it is implicit in the standards that air sampling will be performed. Of the 13 OELs which OSHA has set de novo, 2 (i.e., those for lead and cadmium) require biomonitoring after air sampling has identified the heavily exposed workers. OSHA appears to value biomonitoring in some circumstances but has apparently not found a consistent rationale for using biomarkers to set and enforce its standards. This paper discusses 2 valuable features of biomarkers which should be exploited by OSHA to further its regulatory agenda. The first relates to controversies associated with dose rate which have come into play in setting short-term exposure limits (STELs) when acute effects do not provide the necessary justification. OSHA has not provided evidence that its STELs are needed to reduce the risks of disease (as in the cases of benzene and ethylene oxide). By investigating the exposure-biomarker relationship, it is possible to determine whether the rate of exposure has any influence on the uptake and elimination of toxic substances and, therefore, whether STELs is needed. This is illustrated with data from 2 studies on styrene exposure. The second feature concerns biomonitoring as the primary means of exposure assessment in situations where the biomarker is accumulated over months or years (as in the cases of lead and cadmium). Using data from the lead-battery industry, it is shown that 'correct' compliance decisions are more likely to arise from evaluation of blood lead measurements than from traditional air monitoring.

  8. Applying policy and health effects of air pollution in South Korea: focus on ambient air quality standards

    PubMed Central

    Ha, Jongsik

    2014-01-01

    Objectives South Korea’s air quality standards are insufficient in terms of establishing a procedure for their management. The current system lacks a proper decision-making process and prior evidence is not considered. The purpose of this study is to propose a measure for establishing atmospheric environmental standards in South Korea that will take into consideration the health of its residents. Methods In this paper, the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of the US was examined in order to suggest ways, which consider health effects, to establish air quality standards in South Korea. Up-to-date research on the health effects of air pollution was then reviewed, and tools were proposed to utilize the key results. This was done in an effort to ensure the reliability of the standards with regard to public health. Results This study showed that scientific research on the health effects of air pollution and the methodology used in the research have contributed significantly to establishing air quality standards. However, as the standards are legally binding, the procedure should take into account the effects on other sectors. Realistically speaking, it is impossible to establish standards that protect an entire population from air pollution. Instead, it is necessary to find a balance between what should be done and what can be done. Conclusions Therefore, establishing air quality standards should be done as part of an evidence-based policy that identifies the health effects of air pollution and takes into consideration political, economic, and social contexts. PMID:25300297

  9. 40 CFR Appendix P to Part 50 - Interpretation of the Primary and Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone P Appendix P to Part 50 Protection of Environment... Air Quality Standards for Ozone 1. General (a) This appendix explains the data handling conventions... air quality standards for ozone (O3) specified in § 50.15 are met at an ambient O3 air quality...

  10. 40 CFR Appendix P to Part 50 - Interpretation of the Primary and Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone P Appendix P to Part 50 Protection of Environment... Air Quality Standards for Ozone 1. General (a) This appendix explains the data handling conventions... air quality standards for ozone (O3) specified in § 50.15 are met at an ambient O3 air quality...

  11. 40 CFR Appendix P to Part 50 - Interpretation of the Primary and Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone P Appendix P to Part 50 Protection of Environment... Air Quality Standards for Ozone 1. General (a) This appendix explains the data handling conventions... air quality standards for ozone (O3) specified in § 50.15 are met at an ambient O3 air quality...

  12. 40 CFR Appendix P to Part 50 - Interpretation of the Primary and Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone P Appendix P to Part 50 Protection of Environment... Air Quality Standards for Ozone 1. General (a) This appendix explains the data handling conventions... air quality standards for ozone (O3) specified in § 50.15 are met at an ambient O3 air quality...

  13. 40 CFR Appendix P to Part 50 - Interpretation of the Primary and Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone P Appendix P to Part 50 Protection of Environment... Air Quality Standards for Ozone 1. General (a) This appendix explains the data handling conventions... air quality standards for ozone (O3) specified in § 50.15 are met at an ambient O3 air quality...

  14. 25 CFR 273.38 - Equal quality and standard of education.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Equal quality and standard of education. 273.38 Section 273.38 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR INDIAN SELF-DETERMINATION AND EDUCATION ASSISTANCE ACT PROGRAM EDUCATION CONTRACTS UNDER JOHNSON-O'MALLEY ACT Funding Provisions § 273.38...

  15. 25 CFR 273.38 - Equal quality and standard of education.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2012-04-01 2011-04-01 true Equal quality and standard of education. 273.38 Section 273.38 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR INDIAN SELF-DETERMINATION AND EDUCATION ASSISTANCE ACT PROGRAM EDUCATION CONTRACTS UNDER JOHNSON-O'MALLEY ACT Funding Provisions § 273.38...

  16. 25 CFR 273.38 - Equal quality and standard of education.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Equal quality and standard of education. 273.38 Section 273.38 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR INDIAN SELF-DETERMINATION AND EDUCATION ASSISTANCE ACT PROGRAM EDUCATION CONTRACTS UNDER JOHNSON-O'MALLEY ACT Funding Provisions § 273.38...

  17. 25 CFR 273.38 - Equal quality and standard of education.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Equal quality and standard of education. 273.38 Section 273.38 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR INDIAN SELF-DETERMINATION AND EDUCATION ASSISTANCE ACT PROGRAM EDUCATION CONTRACTS UNDER JOHNSON-O'MALLEY ACT Funding Provisions § 273.38...

  18. 40 CFR 50.7 - National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for PM2.5.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false National primary and secondary ambient... AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS NATIONAL PRIMARY AND SECONDARY AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS § 50.7 National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for PM2.5. (a) The national primary and...

  19. 40 CFR 50.13 - National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for PM2.5.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false National primary and secondary ambient... PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS NATIONAL PRIMARY AND SECONDARY AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS § 50.13 National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for PM2.5. (a) The national primary...

  20. Innovations in projecting emissions for air quality modeling

    EPA Science Inventory

    Air quality modeling is used in setting air quality standards and in evaluating their costs and benefits. Historically, modeling applications have projected emissions and the resulting air quality only 5 to 10 years into the future. Recognition that the choice of air quality mana...

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